Seeking God's Will

Seeking and searching, in our contemporary language, suggests looking for something that is not there or can't be seen. But, is this what we do when we search for the Will of God? When most Christians say they want God's Will, they may actually want Christ to do their will! So, this subject must be sought with reverence and obedience or we will miss it completely, rebalancing our will for His so we can have the trash we want instead of the wonders He has for us.

The struggle to seek or find the Will of God has conflicted and confronted countless Christians and non-Christians alike over the millennia. But, most miss the point of the quest and end up with the wrong items, declaring them as God's Will, or they give up and say God's Will cannot be found. So, what is the Will of God? A basic, general idea of what it means to know the Will of God is found in Matthew 6:33 … But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well….

Seek first the Kingdom of God refers to our quintessential quest in life as a Christian. It is about knowing Christ and pursuing a relationship that grows then is filled with Fruit, purpose, and maturity. It is about placing Christ first and foremost as Savior and Lord. By Lord, we mean He is ruling our hearts, minds, and actions, including our motivations and desires. So, we seek what is best, as Jesus has planned out the best for us. When we only look to ourselves or what we want, we miss His golden opportunities and goodness.

So, what is "seeking" about?

You will be surprised to find out that here it does not mean finding what is missing. Rather; it is about seeing what is already found! More to the point, it is seeing what God has revealed to us. It is a call about placing God first in our lives, which is what "seeking" means (biblically) in this passage. An important point in biblical theology is this: we do not seek God. We can't! It is God who seeks us! This is what the Gospel is all about (Deut. 6:4; Rom. 3:23; 8:2; 9:30-10:8; Eph. 1:3-14; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; 2 Tim. 1:9-10)

To seek God's Will is our highest priority outside of our salvation. The Will of God is not only a task or an ends to find, nor is it just a set of goals; rather, it is a choice, a hunt, and a journey. The action of seeking Him and His plan is His Will! This is the hunt and the journey that produces the principles that grow and mold us in faith and maturity (1 Pet. 5). It never ends; it is always continuing until we are called home

So, what do we do?

The solution is simple. Put Christ and His Will first and everything else secondary. When we have our hearts centered upon what is really important, our real purposes and plans begin to function correctly, as our perspectives are in line with God's. The secret to a life of contentment is having the right perspective of our place in the kingdom.

How do we Find God's Will?

Finding God's Will is not about programs or methods; it is about a person who is God, who wants us! A loving relationship! Asking the question, what does God want me to do , is the starting point, and the focus of finding the Will of God. Remember, Matthew 6:33-34 says "Seek first the kingdom of God." The Will of God has more to do with controlling our hearts and desires than what we do in our planning and ideas (1 Pet 5)! It comes down to our willingness and attitude that we must be a servant of Christ. It is to let Christ, through His Word and Spirit, mold and shape us to His Glory and purpose, and remain in this relationship!
We will know the Will of God more intimately as He reveals it, helping us to learn and grow. As we grow close in our experience with Him, His Will unfolds in His perfect timing!

There are three Primary types of God's Will:

1. REVEALED WILL: God's laws concerning lifestyle and righteous living for all Christians. (It is not God's will for you to ever leave your spouse or start a cult!)
The r evealed Will of God is about what He has made known to us through His written Word, the Bible. The call is to know His Word and renew our minds to it so we know what He wants and has for us. This is about knowing what we "ought," and thus what we "should" do. In this way, we can understand the big picture and the details of how we are to live. We can make choices and be astute in our relationships and opportunities. If we do not know what God wants, how can we embrace His Will or lead a life of distinction?
God's Will is for us to have a right relationship with Him. Thus, we are to recognize His sovereignty over both the universe and our lives. Then, we can live accordingly as a Christian seeking God's righteousness, character, and virtue-His Fruit-so they flow into us. These are the main objects in our quest to find God's Will. These are the real jewels that we take with us into eternity! Righteousness, Fruit of the Spirit, character, and virtue must be our essence that spills onto others. If not, we are definitely not in His Will. And, remember the context in the Matthew 6:33 passage. When we worry, we cannot grow in righteousness, Fruit, character, or virtue, because worry takes over our lives, leaving no room for growth or maturity and thus we will not find God's Will. Worry will cut us off from our faith and growth because it blocks our focus and concentration upon our Lord (Heb. 11:10).
We must immerse ourselves in His Word. In so doing, we will know the majority of His Will, all that is important to live a great, wonderful, Christian life (Jeremiah 42:2-6; 43:2-7; Matthew 12:33-36; John 8:32; 17:17; Romans 12:1-3; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12). God has clearly revealed to us His decrees, commands, and calls, such as to be saved, sanctified, filled with the Spirit, and to obey His precepts, just to mention a few (Eph. 5:17-18; 1 Thess. 4:3; 5:16-18; 1 Tim. 2:3-4; James 1: 21-27; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 2:3-4). It is about our motivation to grow in faith and to be loyal to our Lord so we look to Him and not our troubles and trials. Heaven is our hope of hope, and so much more; it is a reality, a wonder, and a place we will be for ever and ever. Our biggest problem has been solved-that of our sin causing us to die with no hope or salvation. Christ paid that debt and our response is our gratitude. As a Christian, we have been saved; if you are not saved, you can be and then you can become a new creation in Him, set for eternity (1 Cor. 6:9-11; 2 Cor. 5:17)! The great comfort in this is that we have access to God and His life-giving blessings and renewal! He allows us to seek Him and be in His Will. Thus, we can trust that God is indeed in control. He loves us; He will not lead us astray or direct any malevolence toward us.
Because God loves and cares for us, we can respond to His precepts and apply them to our lives. Abiding in His Will brings happiness; but, living outside of it brings doom and gloom. He does not bring it; on the contrary, we bring it by our disobedience-our self-will instead of Christ's Will. The results of realizing we are approved by God will bring perseverance that builds our maturity, character, and faith (James 1: 12-18).

2. DETERMINED WILL: That which cannot be thwarted or stopped by anything (predestination; it will happen!)
This refers to God's sovereignty and control. He alone chooses who will be clued into His truth and who is not worthy to know or not ready. God is the One who chooses and dispenses wisdom and life. He is the only One who is capable and sufficient in knowledge, wisdom, justice, and mercy to do so. God reveals Himself in the heart and His Word. We cannot come to know Him or understand God from any other secular means; no learning, science, or power can grasp who God is or what He is up to. "All things" means that all things in the universe have been committed to Jesus. Being fully God, He is Sovereign (John 12:44-46). When you know Jesus, you know God; God's Spirit allows us to know Jesus. However, just because God is in control of all things does not mean we sit and do nothing; we have responsibilities. We are to trust in Christ regardless of our circumstances.
God will achieve His purpose; we will inherit His wonders and blessings! This flows into the great axiom , that Christ will "wipe away every tear." This must resound in us not just for our personal hope and comfort but also to enable us to trust in Christ for all things and situations. Those in Christ are His and His for all time; there is no fear or dread when we are with our Lord King. He is the Alpha and
Omega. He will bring all things new to those who know and love Him, and judgment to those who fight Him. Thus we can be encouraged, as we have hope, reason, and purpose to be faithful and pursue His will because of our confidence in Him; this, in turn, produces active faith that glorifies Christ and builds His kingdom (Eph 1:14; Heb. 12: 18-29)!

God's character is just and fair! Thus, we can and should submit to the sovereignty of God (Proverbs 1:24-33; 6:16; 8:13, Isaiah 57:15; 66:2; Micah 6:8; 1 Peter 5: 5-9). If not, we become the fool of Proverbs 3:34, living a life filled with irrationality and foolishness, hurting ourselves and other people because instead of using wisdom, we choose rather to seek folly and pride and thus bring adversity upon ourselves and to those around us. We remove our pride by "clinging" to the cross, confessing our sins, and seeking forgiveness from God and others whom we have offended. Our discipline in the faith will help strengthen our walk as we continue to grow in Him.
When we follow Him and submit to His sovereignty, we are following His Will. Then…
He will lift you up. God alone deserves the right to be exalted and honored. God is the only One to exalt us! This is an essential attitude we must take before effective Christian character, maturity, spiritual growth, or seeking His Will can be possible. God's plan for our lives is far better than any desire-evil or good-we could ever have. His promise is relief from persecutions, both in this life and in our life to come. The application is to trust Christ, to keep praying, and keep trusting in our Lord, knowing that His love for us is real and true. God is merciful and is moved by our struggles; He does care (Ex. 2:23-25; 3:7-9; Jug. 2:18; 10:16; Psalm 107:9; Prov. 3:34; Isa. 2:11-12, 17; Ezek. 17:24; 21:26; Luke 1:52-53).Thus, it is logical and beneficial to be humble in Him (2 Chron. 7:14-15; Prov. 3:34; 25:6-7; Isa. 2:11-12; 5:15; Matt. Mt 18:4; 23:12 Luke 11:43; 14:11; 18:14; 20:46; 1 Pet. 5:62)

Remember this important point about God's will: it is not an excuse to do nothing! He wills! God is sovereign and yet we have free will. The Bible teaches both. We may not fully understand it, but there it is. We are the elect and chosen, to which we must realize we have no right. Our responsibility and call must be directive and purpose driven-His purpose! To sit and hide behind theology is a coward's and reprobate's way out! Spurgeon said, " We have a chosen people, and yet His gospel is to be preached to every creature..."
To be continued...








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