“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you”.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”. Romans 2v1-2 (The message and the ESV)
“You have a destination. God created you for a specific purpose (Psalm 139:13–16). So He calls you not only to walk uprightly and obediently, but to fulfill your destiny. Therefore it is key to guard your heart by knowing God personally and experientially; by discerning His revealed will; by shutting out all that distracts you from that calling; and by steadfastly walking the path He has ordained. Protect your mind and don’t settle for anything less than God’s best”. (Chuck Swindoll)
It seems to me that a key to knowing the will of God; to have it revealed so that we can walk in it and be in the right place to happily want to walk in it, is to work on renewing and protecting our minds first. How can we discern his will if our minds are not transformed through the renewal of our new life in Christ? I often want to know God’s will in a matter or a decision for my life … and I want to know it now, without due preparation in the minefield of my mind. Who do I think I am, to dictate revealed knowledge from almighty God without spiritual wisdom and discernment? What a foolish position to be in.
As with so many things in life, we seek instant fulfillment or an immediate answer which is so lacking in depth and character. Far better that we prepare ourselves through inner work … mind work and heart work, seeking wisdom and protection … it’s that time of abiding in the vine, so that when action is required and decisions must be made, then we are fully aware of what is right and will be blessed by God.
Discernment may lead to a knowledge of God’s will and wisdom will reveal God’s timing. It is one thing to know that God has laid something on your heart with a view to you performing an active part in it, but it is another thing to know when to act on it … sometimes patience has to take the lead for a period of time … never easy!
Ingrid x
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