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All genuine Christians have a desire to live their lives in God's will. But the will of God can often seem so elusive.
How does a person discover God's will for their life? Is it meant to be difficult to find out what God wants you to do? Maybe we make it harder than it really needs to be.
Mark 3:35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.
Doing the will of God is an indication that a person is in the family of God.
1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
It isn't enough just to claim to be a Christian.
True followers of Christ are those who actually do the will of God; these are the ones who have eternal life.
1 Pet 4:1-2 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, (2) that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
God expects that our lives will be dedicated to doing His will.
Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
Sometimes we make it a lot harder than it really is.
This is largely because we tend to focus on what we do, whereas God focuses on the kind of people we are.
There's no trick to it; the will of God is to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.
1 Thess 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
1 Thess 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Again, these verses focus on who we are rather than what we do; God wants us to be sexually pure and full of gratitude to Him.
We can have the most famous ministries in the world, but if we are not the kind of people God wants us to be, we are outside of the will of God.
Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
The word "prove" means to discern and approve; the will of God can only be discerned and approved of by a person whose mind is renewed.
Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptised by him.
The will of God isn't something you accidentally fall into or out of, but a choice to accept or reject.
Is your ability to do the will of God affected by your attitude?
Eph 6:6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
God wants us to do His will from the heart.
Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
1 Pet 3:17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
God's will is always good, but God gets to define the word "good".
It isn't up to us to decide that something isn't God's will just because it's difficult; God's will may well include the possibility of suffering.
If you like these Topical Bible Studies, don't forget to check out our Expository Bible Studies too.