Thursday, June 09, 2016

God's will vs god


I believe I've mentioned before how Jane and I have been seeking and praying for God's will for our lives for quite some time now. Shoot, it goes back to before we were booted from our church even. It was interesting, then, when at the last minute we decided to attend the church we've been attending this past Sunday (we were planning to go somewhere else), and the pastor spoke pretty clearly about the subject.

According to him (in this sermon), he said that God's will for us really boils down to two simple things:
  1. Eternal life
  2. Holiness
The message was from 1 Thessalonians 4, and dealt more with the holiness aspect. What really struck the both of us, though, was this statement he made towards the beginning:
"What if you stopped seeking God's will for your life, and simply started seeking God?"

Um, yes, I think that was a word from God to us. So we have changed our nightly prayers. Slightly. We are still asking for direction on where to live, ministry, church, etc. But mostly we are simply trying to seek God; to know him more; to be more fully known and open to His work in our lives.

I can remember a couple periods in my life where I was earnestly desiring to be holy. It wasn't a legalistic or works-centered thing, I really truly wanted to live a holy life - pleasing to God. Those were probably my best days.

I can even remember when I had finished my seminary schooling and we were seeking direction. I believe it was Jane who pointed out that God probably didn't really care where we lived or what church position we had or anything of the sort. So... that's where I'm trying to direct my mind nowadays. I want to have a heart for God; all the time; in everything I do. Which doesn't mean I want to be a bible-thumping, uptight religious snob. I simply want to seek God with all my heart, mind, and strength. I'm sure I will continue to struggle and occasionally fail just like I always have, but I want to keep trying.

Peace out; and in.