Tonight I was in the car for a bit alone and had the chance to listen to a really terrific podcast of Andy Stanley on the subject of the Will of God. He made so many wonderful points, but taking notes would have involved writing down almost everything he was saying...and since I was, afterall, driving, that was not really an option.
A couple of things Andy said that I have been mulling are:
* Only when we are ready to seek the Will of God with cooperation rather than simply consideration will He really speak to us. In other words, God is not interested in revealing Himself to us just so we can consider Him as an option versus all the other plans we have been mulling. He desires submissive, humble hearts--ready to follow Him wherever He leads.
* We must want His Will more than we want the options we have come up with. Prayer is not about asking God to pick one from one of our multiple choice options.
* God wants us to understand His Will for our lives far more than we want to know it.
There were many other thought-provoking points, but what I realized as I listened, is that I have stopped seeking the 'big picture' Will of God in my life. It is a rather shocking realization, and a very humbling admission...but as I was listening I was thinking about friends of mine who are standing at major crossroads in their lives. They are diligently seeking God's voice on where to go next.
I, on the other hand, have settled into a mid-30s attitude of 'I think I generally understand what You have for me, Lord.' Obviously, I do not know what the future holds, but we live in the home we hope to retire in. We are in a community where we wish to establish roots. We love our church, our neighbors, my husband's practice, etc...I tend to think of the major times for seeking the revelation of God's Will to involve times of transition, and frankly, we probably won't be there again for 15 years or so.
It startled me to realize how comfortable I am.
So, tonight I am committed to starting to process this prayerfully. I want to humbly approach the throne with an attitude of "Yes, Lord." before I even know what He will ask of me.
6 comments:
The small group I'm in at my church is using Andy Stanley's "Starting Point" curriculum, and I think it's great. I've learned a lot, and it has helped me understand things differently and more fully...though I still have a loooongg way to go.
Way to put it out there Jen! Love the way you let God speak to you and through you.
This post resonates so much with me right now. My husband and I are seeking the Lord for something 'big' in our lives and we've often been tempted to make decisions based on what we want - things that seem wonderful for us. After much prayer, we know it isn't God's will and He's calling us to wait. We don't want to make a mistake, but sometimes find it so hard to wait on Him.
Fun!!! I love a good adventure!
What was the name of the podcast because I would really like to listen to it?
It is called Discovering God's Will, Part 1 (There are 4 parts, but I have only heard the first two so far)
It is from January 2008, so I am not sure if it is still available or not. I have had it on my ipod for quite some time. Please leave a comment if you find it, so I can direct other folks accordingly. Thanks!
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