God’s Will
I had a thought this morning about God's will, here it is: Knowing God's will is more about education than revelation. Reading from Ps. 143:10, David requests of God, "Teach me to do your will..." This jumped out at me because I often ask God to show me his will. But David asks God to teach him. Moses asked the same thing in Exodus when he asked God to "teach me your ways".
Here are some distinctions between teach me and show me:
Life’s measure
Every few months I measure the height of my three boys. I do it the old school way. No fancy tools or cartoon wall charts. I make them stand ramrod straight against the door jamb of my office with a book on their heads and note their height with a pencil. Then we stand back and ooooh and ahhhhh at how much they've grown. They are growing fast.
Have you ever thought about how much we humans measure things?
God, is that really you?
How do you know God is speaking to you? Are you hearing God's voice or could it be the late-night pepperoni pizza you ate? How can you distinguish between a good idea and a God idea? Here are some steps I take to tune in to God's voice:
- I sit on it (just like the Fonz says): In some cases I won't shout things from the rooftops just yet. Instead, I'll sit on the thought like a chicken on her eggs. I'll let the thought incubate, warm, grow, and develop in prayer.
- I slow leak it: Rather than broadcast the thought, I narrow-cast it to trusted friends and advisers. "Many advisers make victory sure." (Prov. 11:24)
- I read about it: What does Scripture say? Note: the Bible often won't speak explicitly about your situation, however, regular reading of the Bible will wire your soul to hear God; like a radio, you will fine tune your hearing and insight via the Holy Spirit. What do others say via books, blogs, or articles?
- I die to it: That is, I hold the thought loosely and remain flexible. But, if I can't shake it, if it won't go away, then I continue to follow promptings and walk through doors.
- I act on it: I take faith steps and walk through doors looking for signs to follow, not vice-versa.
- And remember: Playing it safe is risky!
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