Recently, our youngest started his first year of college. You may be familiar with the months leading up to that moment: campus scouting, application submitting, scholarship hunting, and getting everything they want to take to school into two suitcases. Major? Oh ya. He was adamant about what he would be studying.
In our attempts to test his resolve, my wife and I asked the proverbial, time-tested questions like: Can you make a living doing that? How about rounding out that major with a minor in business?
I was traveling recently and woke up one morning thinking about the major he chose. It struck me that my wife and I had not more thoroughly explained how to understand God’s will with our boys.
So that morning, I culled together some thoughts and questions that, are probably good for all of us to wrestle with even if we’re not seeking a specific answer to a specific question at the moment. Here are just a few that we can ask that can serve us well before we seek God’s will:
- Am I in a right relationship with God? If there is unconfessed sin in my life, it is a barrier between God and me. Our fellowship is broken (Psalm 32:1-6, Psalm 66:18-20). What proof is there that you are rightly related to God? Get free from whatever is keeping you from hearing from God.
- Do I want to know and do God’s will? Jesus says that whoever is willing to do what God wants will know what it is (John 7:17). Check your heart for its true desire. Be honest: are you truly willing to do what God wants you to?
- What Am I Doing That You Want Me to Stop? “Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)”. At this point, you might be sensing there may be things you’ll need to surrender to the Lord and walk away from… for YOUR sake. Ask that He reveal those things to you.
- What Am I Not Doing That I Should Start? “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)”. There are a few conditions in those verses… Trust… ALL your heart… DO NOT lean… IN ALL your ways… at that point He leads you on the path you are to take.
Here’s to our son seeking God’s confirmation of the path he should pursue, and our consistent practice of preparing to seek God’s will.
Thanks for joining me on the journey!
Scott