Many Christians fear God’s will.
The late Ray Stedman says in his classic book, Body Life, “Somewhere the idea has found deep entrenchment in Christian circles that doing what God wants you to do is always unpleasant; Christians must always make choices between doing what they want to do and being happy, and doing what God wants them to do and being completely miserable.” Nothing could be further from the truth.
Many Christians think that if they give in to God’s will, God will strip them naked, take everything they own, give them a loincloth and send them to a far away land. After all, isn’t that God’s calling to everybody—to be a missionary?
Have you ever heard it said, “Don’t say that, or that’s just what God will make you do,” as if God were looking for ways to torment you?
God is our loving Father and He wants only the best for His children.
God is not going to put us in any situation that will compromise our effectiveness to serve Him, preventing us from using the spiritual gifts that He has given to each of us. That would be contrary to God’s nature.
Why can we justify looking at God’s will for His children being bad while His will for the unbeliever is to provide deliverance from sin, oppression and judgment?
Galatians 1:3-4 says, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.“
God is not willing to deliver us from this “present evil age” in order to place us back into misery. Part of the deliverance we receive through Christ is deliverance from things that make us miserable.
One pastor, after studying spiritual gifts and the will of God, said, “A great surprise in my life was to discover God’s will would make me happy.”
Related Articles…
- What God’s Will Is for Your Life
- What God’s Will for You Is Not
- Spiritual Gifts and Their Relationship to God’s Will
Dr. Larry Gilbert is founder and chairman of Ephesians Four Ministries, and founder of ChurchGrowth.org. For more on spiritual gifts, see Dr. Gilbert’s books, from which this article was condensed: Team Ministry: Gifted to Serve (for pastors and group leaders) and Your Gifts: Discover God’s Unique Design for You (for individuals and groups).
Permission granted to copy, forward, share, post and reproduce everything in this article, please include this link Source: ChurchGrowth.org, CLICK HERE to subscribe for FREE
Here are more free articles, one for each of the nine Team Ministry Spiritual Gifts…
You are gifted.
Discover more about your spiritual gifts and each of the nine team gifts.
For individuals and groups.
Read This Book NOW, eBook Instant PDF Download, Click Here
Read This Book with Your Group, Only $9.99, as low as $7.99 with Bulk Pricing for Groups, Click Here
Spiritual Gifts Can Unleash the Power of Everyone!
Lead others to discover their spiritual gifts.
For pastors and group leaders.
Read This Book Now, eBook Instant PDF Download, Click Here
Read This Book with Your Group of Pastors and Shepherds, Bulk Pricing for Groups, Click Here
5 Comments. Leave new
What how is that. I believe God is the source of everything.
I’ve been a Believer for 52 years, however it has been within the last 10 to 11 years that I’ve grown in the Lord more than ever before. I’ve learned more about God’ precious free gift of grace, and that the peace that God gives, which is way beyond my human understanding. This peace does not exclude chaos, but is better realized in spite of, or because of – even in the midst of it. I’ve learn what Paul really meant when he said, “For me to live is Christ – to die is gain.” The more I grow in the Lord and get to know Him, the more peace I encounter and experience; at the same time the more often I find chaos in my life, because I realize that Saten is busy at work trying to destroy my peace and to take away my confidence. A few times he does win, but lately, even if I at times faulter – I don’t give up, lose hope or my confidence. I’m still learning, growing – but Philippians 1:6 is always one of my “go to” verses for a reminder and source of strength,
Philippians 1:6 “I am sure of this very thing – that He who began a good work in (me) will carry it on to completion until the Day of Messiah Jesus.”
Denise,
Thank you for sharing such comforting and affirming words. What a blessed assurance.
Amen. I agree completely. I too have always been a believer, but it has taken me many years and many wrong roads to find the one He wants me on. I, too, still falter (often). But I know my God and my Lord, and He is good to me. I AM a changed person from this; you can ask anybody who knew me previously AND knows me now. Just realize, anybody who is reading this, that following God’s will to the best of your ability (because you will always falter) WILL still have its ups and downs. But you will be a happier person INSIDE YOU to do this! Love, Peace, and Grace to all of you.
Thank you God. Thank you ladies for sharing! As a young child I was brought up in the church and strayed away for many years. As the years went by, life experiences became harder and harder and I finally realized that one cannot live a purposeful life with out God being your priority. You have to fee your spirit by praying, worshiping and reading his Word. As I am not perfect and face up and downs the key is to NEVER give up on God because he NEVER gives up on us. I thank God and I praise him for bringing back to him. Amen