Is it God's will?

This is a question that has been on my mind A LOT lately. What is God's will for my life? Is what I am pursuing His plan or mine? How do I tell the difference? Amazingly with this question on my mind, the past week's discussions with friends, mentors, and bible study groups have centered on this idea. It's amazing what God will put in front of you when you just ask.

So, with this burning question in my head, I thought I would take the time to jot down a few of my ideas on the subject and a few of my friend's ideas. There is no reason to take this post as the truth. I have been reading through some scripture and these are the conclusions I have come to. I only hope they can help you in some way. Also, note that this post is not the full extant of my thoughts on the subject. I could give you a post for just about each point I make and if you are interested in seeing that in the future, then let me know.

When it comes to God's plan for your life it is really easy to enter into freak out mode. The future is a scary mess of the unknown and when you plug in the idea of God and "achieving" Heaven then you can almost have a full on heart attack with all the worry you have stored up.

Now, before I get into what I think His will is for me or us, I first want to define what I mean by His will. I think we can all agree that our purpose in this world is to spread the Gospel (good news) of Jesus and all He has and will do for us. 

Mark 16:15-16, "And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

However it is hard to determine specifically what you are "supposed" to be doing for God, While, I have no answer yet, I do believe there are a few certain aspects you can look at to help you decide.

#1. Read His Word

I Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Wow! How simple! God has plainly stated here what His will is for us. Get deep in God's word and you will find verses just like this one with God's will stated plainly for us.

#2. Recognize your Special Gift in God

I Corinthians 12: 4-11 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

 We all have a special gift that God has empowered us with. We are to search and figure out what that gift is and use it to glorify God. Figure out what you are gifted at and learn how you can use that to glorify God and further His kingdom.

 #3. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Christianity is not popular. Christianity is not easy. Did Jesus seek out those who were Christian and doing the "right" thing? No. Who was Jesus' audience? The sinners. And likewise, these are the people to who we are to be ministering. God did not call us to sit comfortably in our church pew and worship Him only on Sunday. We are to STEP OUT for Him. 

#4. Stop Worrying and Pray

Don't worry, be happy. It's such  a simple statement, but probably the hardest to put into practice. I worry so much about my future, but I have come to realize that once I give it to God, then that worry vanishes. I pray to Him and I know that He has me in His hands and will always take care of me. 

#5. Be a DOER!

Now all that needs to be done is to DO! Go out and be the hands and feet of Jesus! Take you talents and use them to His glory. Get involved. Whether it be with a charity, within the church, school, etc. Just Do It! 

 James 1:22-25 puts it best, " But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."