God’s Will

I remember the days before there was GPS. I would order road maps from AAA, or purchase a Thompson Map. I would study the map to get a clear idea of how to reach my destination. In every situation, the road map got me to where I needed to be.

Recently I found myself looking out my cabin window at a beautiful, fresh Northern Arizona snowfall. I was in that place of great natural beauty to preach to a group of Christian men, challenging them to allow the Lord to use them in even greater ways. What an appropriate setting: mountains, lodgepole pines, elk, food, and fellowship with some good men!

My wife and I began serving in full-time ministry in June of 1974. I had just graduated from Bible College, moved to a city where we knew no one, and at the age of twenty-four started an independent Baptist church with no one but our family. Forty-one years of pastoral ministry later, I stood before the congregation that I loved and at the age of sixty-five read my resignation letter.

In the summer of 2013, during a much needed getaway trip with my wife, God revealed the truth of this wonderful promise in Scripture to me in a new and fresh way. We were at a point of decision. God had began to work in my heart about becoming a pastor.

The average tenure for pastors and assistant pastors is somewhere between three to seven years. There are many reasons why pastors and assistants move on. We cringe to hear of the bad reasons, but sometimes ministry transitions are good for all parties involved.

In studying James chapter four, I find that there are at least seven ways to miss God’s will for your life. Here is an overview of the seven:

We are faced with choices every day. Decisions must be made on an hourly basis. And there is a great possibility for error, simply because we are human! In addition, many of the choices we face don’t have an exact Bible chapter and verse for us to follow. Because of this, we must claim the promise of the provision of God’s wisdom. James 1:5 says “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God….”

It seems to me that there are two extremes when it comes to the will of God. One extreme is demonstrated by those who are willing to let their experiences trump the Word of God. The other extreme is the position that the only way God speaks to man today is through His Word.

Making a decision to leave the mission field is monumental and should only be done after much prayer and counsel. I pray that the Lord will use these questions to either solidify a direction that you are already leaning toward, or to completely change your mind according to His will.

In the midst of one of the greatest works for God in the Old Testament, Nehemiah reminded God’s people, “…the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Why the reminder? Because God’s people need joy, and one of Satan’s first line of attacks to weaken our hands in the work is to take our joy.

It’s not usually the great burdens of life that kill our joy. In fact, our joy often flourishes during these times because we are more likely to draw close to the Lord and experience His presence at a new level. What kills our joy are the subtle temptations that draw us from walking in the presence of God.

If there is one thing we should model as Christians, and particularly as Christian leaders, it is the joy of the Lord. God designed the Christian life to be an abundant life. The fruit of the Spirit is joy. Although joy should be the norm for Christian ministry, we can go days, weeks, or months operating in “joyless mode”—diligent in going through the motions but empty inside.

What is God’s will for my life? This question has brought much agony to the hearts of many sincere single adults. Many people are searching books, reading stories, and getting hours of counsel for something that God has already made extremely clear in His Word!

I can’t tell you how many times I have emphasized the importance of God’s timing to someone. It has struck me over and over that God has good things for us at the right time. This is very evident in the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15.