“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” Romans 12:1-3
How do you know God’s will for your life? When you come to a crossroads and you are not sure what to do, how do you know what God has for you? We often ask this question when we are wrestling with a specific decision. What is God’s will for my occupation? What is God’s will for where I should go to school? What is God’s will for me as it relates to who I should marry or where I should live? The Bible does not address every specific decision, but it does give us very specific direction and clarity of God’s will for our lives.
You see, God wants us to understand His will for our lives. He is not holding out on us like it’s a big secret or trying to make us guess. He’ll show us what is best for us if we are willing to trust Him. So, how do we find out His will for each of our lives? Romans 12 gives us incredible insight:
1. God’s will is rooted in His mercy and grace.
God’s will is not about us proving our worth or earning our keep. God’s will for us is not about trying hard and pulling off an excellent performance. God’s will for us is not about our works, deeds and accomplishments. In short, God’s will is not about what we do, it is about what He has already done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ!
2. God’s will is that we present our lives to God as an act of worship.
God doesn’t want to just give you advice – He wants to give you new life! The greatest act of worship you can offer God is to trust Him with your life. This is saying to Him, “Whatever you want to do through me, I’m in! Whatever you want from me, the answer is, “Yes! Here am I send me. I want my life to be lived for Your glory! I want my life to make an impact on others. You have set me free in Your love and grace and I am Yours!” If your desire is to glorify God with your life, your choices and decisions become much more in focus. Ask yourself, “Will this glorify God?” If yes, I’m in! If no, no thank you. If this is your perspective, decisions and choices become much easier.
3. God’s will is that we be transformed by the truth.
Are you trusting the wisdom of the world, or are you trusting the wisdom of God? The wisdom of the world makes the Bible very difficult to understand and very difficult to trust. If you are conformed to this world, you will have great difficulty comprehending God’s Word. But if you trust the mercy and grace of God, and are willing to present your life to God as an act of worship, you will be transformed by the Word of God and will be able to clearly understand God’s will!
4. God’s will is that we live with Gospel humility.
This is all about understanding who we are through the lens of the Gospel. In our culture, there may not be a call that is more important. We love to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. The Bible says, “Don’t do that!” Look at your life through the lens of the Gospel. Remember who God is. Remember who you are and whose you are. Never forget that we all are in need of a Savior.
Know who you are through Jesus Christ and live your life as a child of God, fully accepted and fully loved, and you will live in the center of God’s will for you!
Taken from a sermon by George Wright, Senior Pastor, Cedarcrest Church
