Knowing God's Will
Living In the Will of God
Colossians 1:1-12
“So that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
When faced with difficult decisions, when we are confronted with life at a crossroads, and when we are uncertain regarding the direction of our lives, then we pray for God’s will. We desire to do God’s will, but it seems elusive and hidden. We struggle to know God’s will in our daily events and decisions. As a result, our prayers often focus on God blessing our decisions and fulfilling our desires. We make our plans, set our goals and then focus on obtaining them. However, to live in a relationship with Christ is to reorient our life so that He determines our goals, values, desires, and wants.
In his letter to the church at Colossae, Paul begins by affirming who we are in Christ. His commendation serves as an affirmation of the reorientation of our life that Christ brings. Instead of being governed by our culture's attitudes, values, and worldviews, we are to be transformed in our thinking so that our knowledge of God now governs us. The Christian life is a journey of learning about God as He has revealed Himself in His Word. We are to grow in our understanding of His character and nature. Since we were created in His image, our identity is found in Him, reflecting His image in every thought, desire, action, and activity. In our knowledge of Him, we discover wisdom and knowledge. In other words, we discover what is morally right and true (understanding) to live a life in harmony with Him and His moral law (wisdom).
However, the knowledge of God is not merely academic; it is to be transformative. God has revealed Himself in His Word so that we might live a life worthy of Him. The purpose of all knowledge is to transform our conduct so that we please God in all things. The will of God is not difficult and illusive. He has made it clear. In all our daily decisions, how we live, the choices we make, the places we go, and the things we do, we are to live in a way that manifests the character of God. To live right before God, we must think rightly about God, grounded in our daily obedience to Christ. It seeks to know Him as He has revealed Himself in His autobiography—the Bible. When that becomes our focus, then our lives will be joyful, and we will discover the peace that surpasses all understanding, for we will recognize that the true meaning of life is not found in the present but in the eternal, where we will share in the inheritance of the saints.
When confronted with life's choices, instead of asking God to bless your decisions, ask God to govern and direct them so that they might reflect him. When that is your prayer, you can have the assurance that you are at the center of His will.
Colossians 1:1-12
“So that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
When faced with difficult decisions, when we are confronted with life at a crossroads, and when we are uncertain regarding the direction of our lives, then we pray for God’s will. We desire to do God’s will, but it seems elusive and hidden. We struggle to know God’s will in our daily events and decisions. As a result, our prayers often focus on God blessing our decisions and fulfilling our desires. We make our plans, set our goals and then focus on obtaining them. However, to live in a relationship with Christ is to reorient our life so that He determines our goals, values, desires, and wants.
In his letter to the church at Colossae, Paul begins by affirming who we are in Christ. His commendation serves as an affirmation of the reorientation of our life that Christ brings. Instead of being governed by our culture's attitudes, values, and worldviews, we are to be transformed in our thinking so that our knowledge of God now governs us. The Christian life is a journey of learning about God as He has revealed Himself in His Word. We are to grow in our understanding of His character and nature. Since we were created in His image, our identity is found in Him, reflecting His image in every thought, desire, action, and activity. In our knowledge of Him, we discover wisdom and knowledge. In other words, we discover what is morally right and true (understanding) to live a life in harmony with Him and His moral law (wisdom).
However, the knowledge of God is not merely academic; it is to be transformative. God has revealed Himself in His Word so that we might live a life worthy of Him. The purpose of all knowledge is to transform our conduct so that we please God in all things. The will of God is not difficult and illusive. He has made it clear. In all our daily decisions, how we live, the choices we make, the places we go, and the things we do, we are to live in a way that manifests the character of God. To live right before God, we must think rightly about God, grounded in our daily obedience to Christ. It seeks to know Him as He has revealed Himself in His autobiography—the Bible. When that becomes our focus, then our lives will be joyful, and we will discover the peace that surpasses all understanding, for we will recognize that the true meaning of life is not found in the present but in the eternal, where we will share in the inheritance of the saints.
When confronted with life's choices, instead of asking God to bless your decisions, ask God to govern and direct them so that they might reflect him. When that is your prayer, you can have the assurance that you are at the center of His will.
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