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It's a "Will" Thing
by Lester Young "Thy will be done." As part of the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:10), that's probably one of the most recognized and well-known phrases in the Bible. It's also one of if not THE most important confessions that we as Christians can utter; that is, if we're at all concerned about our own continued personal well-being. The only reason anyone could possibly have for not agreeing with that statement is because they fear, don't trust or don't know God's will for him- or herself individually. And, while such a sentiment might be quite understandable from a human standpoint, the fault, nevertheless, of that ignorance still rests squarely upon the person. God's basic will for all his children is clearly spelled out in the Scriptures. Completely contrary to the 'poverty' or 'just-struggling-to-get-by-for-Christ' mentalities currently running rampant throughout the world (including the Church), Jesus came to not only give us life, but to give it to us in great abundance (John 10:10). If you're still dubious of that verse referring to our physical circumstances as well as our spiritual redemption, just study the 'blessing' of Abraham, the blessing that's also come upon you and me through Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:14). Genesis 24:1 says, "...the LORD had blessed [Abraham] in all things." All things like what? Abraham's head servant tells us in no uncertain terms: "And the LORD has blessed my master [Abraham] greatly; and he is become great: and He has given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses" (Genesis 24:35). Deuteronomy 28:1-13 provides very descriptive details of what that blessing will produce. And, Proverbs 10:22 clearly and boldly declares, "The blessing of the LORD, it makes [you] rich, and He adds no sorrow with it." I'm convinced that a large number of folks (both inside and outside the Church) don't know God's personal will for them and are reluctant to wholeheartedly seek it out of fear that they'll be 'called to preach.' "No, no, no...don't wanna be no preacher!" If this is you, I'll just go ahead and lay that question to rest right now...You Will Be Called To Preach. Period...end of paragraph, end of page, end of story. (Now that we've settled that issue and gotten it out of the way, I'm sure you feel a whole lot better, don't you?) Okay, I apologize for that. Look, I didn't say you'd be destined, appointed and ordained to stand up in a pulpit every Sunday and deliver a rousing sermon to your congregation. I said, "Jesus will command that you preach." Actually, Jesus has already commanded you, me, and everybody else in His Body to preach. It's right there in red and white: "You go into all the world, and preach the good news to every creature" (Mark 16:15). They're Jesus' words He said what He meant, and He meant what He said. But, if you look closely at that verse in its totality, you'll eventually also notice just where the Lord is sending us into all the world, the whole of all creation. In other words, He's sending some of us into the teaching profession, He's sending some of us into banking, some of us to sell cars, some to office jobs and others into professional sports. He even wants some of us to be lawyers (...sorry). He wants His people everywhere, to not only tell but show those around them the goodness of our God. He wants His people to bring God's principles into this world's system of operation at all stations and at all levels. That's how we preach the gospel to every creature; that's how we preach to everything that's been created. You don't have to be afraid of God's perfect will for your life. As a matter of fact, the best thing you could possibly do is to earnestly seek it out. That's where your greatest joy and blessing your ultimate fulfillment lies. God wants us to know what His will for us is (Colossians 1:9). He hasn't hidden it from us; it's been hidden for us, so the devil can't get a jump on trying to mess things up (1 Corinthians 2:7-8). We've all been given talents and gifts each and every one of us to aid us in doing whatever it is God's called us individually to do (1 Corinthians 12:4). They're for His glorification. But you needn't worry about God being the only one to get any enjoyment out of the deal. He's not selfish that way. Everything He does, everything He's ever done, has been with our benefit in mind. God's perfect will and place for you (1 Corinthians 12:18) will be the greatest thing you've never imagined for yourself (Ephesians 3:20). When you think about it, that should come as no real surprise. He knows us even better than we know ourselves, and He knows what we'll love if we'll just trust Him and His will for us. Lester Young is a Christian writer and graphic artist in Myrtle Beach, SC. Visit his blog 'Just the GOOD news! at jtgn.wordpress.com. Connect with him on CollectiveFaith (http://collectivefaith.com/Lester-Young/info/, Facebook.com/Just the GOOD news and Twitter @Leka43. Copyright 2012 Lester Young Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |