Life is filled with choices. Many of us have faced specific choices wondering what God's will is. This point became a cliche' years ago with the "WWJD" craze. (Good principle that was marketed to a point of meaninglessness for many) Some of us have wondered about our lives in a more generic sense asking "what is God's will for my life?" Sometimes we have clear direction in God's word about specific choices. Sometimes we get hints from Biblical examples with similarities to our situations, or we can see from choices others have made what potential outcomes could be. Other times it seems there is no clear cut decision and we may feel overwhelmed with making a specific decision.
Many have heard arguments for God having a "perfect" will and a "permissive" will. What's that all about?
Ezekiel 33:11
New Living Translation (NLT)
11 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?
God has a perfect will that all people would come to a place of salvation by accepting His sacrifice and payment for our sins. HOWEVER - He also made us a people with a free will, or the ability to choose for ourselves.
So what's a man to do?
Romans 12:2
New Living Translation (NLT)
2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Let's get one fact of life VERY CLEAR-
No decision or action is isolated unto itself. ALL choices in life result in consequences whether they be positive, neutral or negative.
Some actions will NEVER produce good results.
Like what?
Whack that thing real hard with a big stick. Get the idea?
On the other hand...
Whacking this one with a big stick produces a completely different result.
Sometimes the situation makes the decision easy. Regardless, the action produces consequences. Unfortunately, the choices we are faced with in life are seldom as obvious as these two examples. Let's look again at the key to making good decisions that line up with God's will by adding a verse and using a different translation:
Romans 12:1-2
The Message (MSG)
Romans 12
Place Your Life Before God
1-2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
We all look at the first picture and start to pick up the stick at times in our lives. The closer we get to God, the less often that will seem like a good idea. Ask God to help you be sure of your target before you swing.
