Tuesday, September 29, 2009
How do I know it's God's voice...
It is one of the most vexing questions of the life lived in submission to the will of God: how do I know the will of God? When I have to make a decision, when I have that nagging urge to speak to someone, when I have that uneasy feeling in my stomach, when I feel like God is leading me in a certain direction, when I have a dream, when a sermon convicts me to take action. How do I decide what to do? What is God saying to me? What is the Spirit leading me to do?
Our campus ministry at SH has spent a lot of time recently on this. This is a real and difficult question for university students. I preached recently about this at HIP. Both my children and their spouses are wrestling with major decisions and they want to be sure they are submitting to the will of God. Marsha and I are constantly facing decisions in which we want to hear God's voice.
So here are five things to help know the will of God. I know there may be lots others, but here are five.
1. Filter it thru Scripture. God is not going to contradict Himself. As the Hebrew writer said, The Bible is living and active. It speaks to us today.
2. Run it by the community of faith. What do spiritual people you respect have to say about it? Listen to them. Even if you don't like the answer. Trust their affirmation. Or give credence to their concerns.
3. Ask for wisdom. Read James.
4. Ask God for a sign. That's one of the great lessons from the story of Gideon.
5. Trust the Holy Spirit to stop you. Read Acts 16: 6-10. If things continue to not work out... that may be the Holy Spirit.
6. Watch for the open doors. The Ethiopian conversion in Acts 8 was an open door opportunity.
Using these filters to help see God's will is how I have ended up at Herald of Truth, how I became an elder at Southern Hills, how I got my dog and my truck, and why we are still in the same house.
I look forward to your stories, input, and other ideas.
Our campus ministry at SH has spent a lot of time recently on this. This is a real and difficult question for university students. I preached recently about this at HIP. Both my children and their spouses are wrestling with major decisions and they want to be sure they are submitting to the will of God. Marsha and I are constantly facing decisions in which we want to hear God's voice.
So here are five things to help know the will of God. I know there may be lots others, but here are five.
1. Filter it thru Scripture. God is not going to contradict Himself. As the Hebrew writer said, The Bible is living and active. It speaks to us today.
2. Run it by the community of faith. What do spiritual people you respect have to say about it? Listen to them. Even if you don't like the answer. Trust their affirmation. Or give credence to their concerns.
3. Ask for wisdom. Read James.
4. Ask God for a sign. That's one of the great lessons from the story of Gideon.
5. Trust the Holy Spirit to stop you. Read Acts 16: 6-10. If things continue to not work out... that may be the Holy Spirit.
6. Watch for the open doors. The Ethiopian conversion in Acts 8 was an open door opportunity.
Using these filters to help see God's will is how I have ended up at Herald of Truth, how I became an elder at Southern Hills, how I got my dog and my truck, and why we are still in the same house.
I look forward to your stories, input, and other ideas.
