How Do I Find God's Will for My Life?
by David K. Bernard
Podcast recording (no venue stated in the delivered transcript)
Kind: teaching
Scripture: Colossians 1:9, James 1, Matthew 6:33

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/david-k-bernard--how-do-i-find-gods-will-for-my-life
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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that's an important question and I do have a a chapter in a book and several related chapters in my book the apostolic life and I talk about knowing God's will I talk about career planning and God's Will and so forth but the first thing I would like to say is we need to De demystify the will of God God's will is not meant to be mysterious far off difficult sometimes we treat it as if we're groping in a fog and maybe one day we'll find God's perfect will for our whole life but Colossians 1:9 new King James Paul says for this we reason we also since the day we heard it do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spirit spiritual understanding so we're supposed to know God's will it's not meant to be mysterious also I have often relied on the promise in James chapter 1 if anyone lacks Wisdom ask of God he will not rebuke you but he will give you guidance in essence so I think we pray for God's Will and we um another so I think there's several key points first thing is get our spiritual priorities right Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 if you seek first the kingdom of God then all these things will be added unto you so get first things first get your spiritual priorities right second live in God's will so if you are in God's will now it's not a mysterious groping to find it it's a matter of letting it unfold and evolve if you're not in God's will and you know it well what changes do you need to make to get in God's will and I have a few sayings in that regard I say 90% of the will of God is doing what you already know to do so is it God's will for you to pray yes study his word yes share your testimony yes Faithfully attend a local church yes you know get guidance from your pastor and other spiritual leaders yes so all these things many times when we're seeking God's will we're not doing some of those things so why would God reveal something else for you to do when you're not doing what he's already told you to do so that's why I say 90% of the will of God is doing what you already know to do and I similarly say when you don't know what else to do do what you know to do so if you're going through a trial or discouraging situation or frustrating or you're needing Direction well what do you know okay if you don't know what else to do do what you know to do keep coming to church keep praying keep believing keep worshiping keep sharing your testimony keep living for God um and I think the will of God is unfolding so as you do what you know God will give you the next step we would like God to reel the next 10 years or 50 years but he doesn't really do that he doesn't tell us what we want to know he tells us what we need to know and I think maybe there's a good reason if he showed us all the wonderful accomplishments we'd be PR proud and boastful and backslide if he showed us all the trials we would be discouraged and backslide so he only shows us what we need to know and at the end of the day Jesus says follow me so in other words not go to this destination and I promise you this and I promise you that but just follow me all that really takes is being one step behind Jesus you don't have to know which direction he's going you just have to go where he goes so I think what we're saying is more about relationship and as you're doing everything you know to do to the best of your ability then he'll open a door and I have what I call an open door policy which I use especially as a young adult choosing college career Ministry marriage all those key life decisions and when I faced a crucial decision I would list the pros and cons and try to think because you know I feel like God's given us a brain so we're supposed to use it you know why short circuit mean we want everything to be written in neon lights we want God to you know speak to us in tongues interpretation or send somebody to prophesy well wait a minute uh I found that those exceptional means those Supernatural means whether it's a dream Vision tongues prophecy whatever is usually one of two things sometimes God wants to get our attention to open our mind to things we haven't considered or other times God will use that to confirm a process that's already been going on but typically God is not just speak out of nowhere and say you know go do something you've never thought of before and this is the final word he's usually going to say something like I want you to start looking at this I'm going to plant a seed you're going to have to figure it out or he's going to say you've been struggling with this thinking about this not sure about this wonder if it could really well yes this is it so God will help you but he's not going to shortcircuit the normal means what are the normal means studying God's word a lot of stuff we know from the word of God your own intellect your own brain your own powers of reasoning and thinking looking at the pros and cons looking at is this feasible is this likely and yes you have to have faith but there has to be a reasonable Faith you have to see the potential and then uh your pastor and other Godly leaders maybe if you're a young person at home and you have Christian parents or you have uh other teachers and mentors in your life or uh you're a little bit older you've got trusted friends and so in the multitude of counselors there's safety so the Book of Proverbs talks a great length and other passes of the Bible about heeding getting advice heeding spiritual leaders listening to them I don't believe anybody has absolute Authority in your life except God so as a pastor I never tried to assert dictatorial Authority or absolute veto power it was always qualified so I don't really see leadership is going to that extreme or authority is going to that extreme but I do think respecting spiritual leadership heeding them carefully conc what they have to say and letting God speak through other people many times through a pastoral counseling advice or preaching or teaching God will just confirm a word or a line or a statement or as I said open a door to something you never thought about now you started a new Journey so all these means put together uh but I had what I called the the open door policy that if I'm seeking Direction and that an opportunity opens it may not be the ultimate one but hey I'll try it and by trying it I might find you know there's more to this than I really knew and I keep uing that and it grows and grows and grows or you might find you know what while this might have been a good thing I don't really feel a burden for this so it's like Ministry opportunities I'm just not just talking about if you're called or preach but just serving in the church somebody says well would you I I really feel like I want your help for a nursing home service and you think well I'm not interested in nursing homes but you think well I've been asking God to open doors I'll try it and you might feel you know I really feel this is what God wants right now whether it's long-term Ministry or needed experience or you might feel well I feel like I did a good job I feel like I help those people but I really don't feel like that should be a priority but you'll never know that unless you try that so that's what I call an open door policy being open to Opportunities suggestions advice encouragement just try it out when you you're not sure try something new see what happens go on a missions trip uh and I I do think when you don't know what else to do do what you know to do so it's always God will to study and I would say especially if you're a young person young adult you don't have Direction well go to college go to Bible College or at least take a couple classes you know that can you don't you don't know what God is going to use you in 20 years from now or 30 years from now so if you don't prepare because you don't think you'll ever be used you it's like building a house you have a very small Foundation well if God wants to build a big house he's not going to have much to work with so when you don't know what else to do it's best to invest in your future your education your training uh even a good job that trains you it may not be your ultimate career but it's not just for the sake of paying the bills it's something that helps you learn how to work with people learn how to manage your schedule so any kind of a job uh could be an opportunity so especially as a young person young adult I would say take these opportunities for trips and jobs and education and experiences because you'll never have more time than you do right now and once you get family and responsibilities and bills you know your your your option is going to start being limited you're and you're going to find sometime in life you're never going to do everything you want to do your options going to start narrow narrowing so when you're young try to build a broad enough Foundation that whatever God has 10 years from now you could do it you know and and so I I do think that that time of preparation is so valuable even though it may seem like wasted time for a young person uh you know the old saying which may not relate to people today but the time that spent sharpening the sickle is never wasted so the sickle of course is the instrument to Harvest Grain well if it's dull you can hack and hack and hack and not be very productive but if you stop and sharpen it then you're twice as productive when you go back to harvesting so actually gain time so what looks like wasting time you actually gain time so think of your time of preparation and in Ministry involvements or church involvement is not wasting time but actually making you more effective for whatever God's long-term plan for your life might be so I do believe that if we will just follow after the Lord and I'll give one more illustration sometimes we got know God's perfect will so we pray fast pray fast nothing happens can't feel anything blah blah blah well it's kind of like sitting in the parking lot in a car with the engine off and you're praying and praying and praying for direction you're never going to go anywhere so at some point you turn on the ignition you start moving well I don't know where the end is going to be well start moving out of the parking lot you're going to have to get out of the parking lot right and then you come to the street should I turn left or right well just start going right and if God wants to direct you the other way he can put your his hand on the steering wheel and go that way the point is as you are working and as you are involved God will start nudging you and directing you but if you're just sitting there wanting his perfect will wanting whether it's Ministry or career or marriage just to be handed to you at direct from Mount SII well if you're Moses maybe that will happen but if you're not you know maybe you need to start moving down the highway even though you don't know exactly where you're going to end up and God can direct you as you go and so uh that's why I believe the will of God is unfolding and really the goal should be I am in the will of God and I can remain in the will of God my whole life I might make a make a mistake I might take a detour but you know what and here's another thing what if I miss God's will it's not the end of the life of your life when you realize it just repent and ask God to help you get back on track you say what if that blocked the door it's not available anymore because I blew it I ignored it well once you repent or once you you know realize and you humble yourself is God so limited well that was plan a but you missed it so your whole life is now ruined sorry or does he have plan b or plan C and so that encourages you even if you fail sometimes you might sin and block a door and door a May forever be blocked if if it's serious enough but God still has door be or what if other people miss the will of God you're sure of the will of God but somebody blocks you from a Ministry or blocks you from a career or blocks you from a marriage and you think that was God's perfect will and those evil people or those unspiritual people just killed it well God is a lot bigger than that he's got Plan B CDE e ultimately your life and your ministry is not at the mercy of other people it's in God's hands you are going to accomplish what God wants if you'll keep submitting your will to his that's very comforting to know that God's Got Us in his hand and we can't mess it up if we'll just trust him if we'll just keep walking by faith