Knowing God’s Will

I think we all want to know YOUR will for our lives. We want to know the is a reason we are here. We want to know what YOU want us to do. I know I do. I love to plan. I want to know what I will be doing today, tomorrow, next week, and five years from now. Oh God, just tell me what to do. Then this morning I was reading Paul’s prayer for those who follow YOU in Colossians 1, I am struck by how he defines knowing YOUR will. First, he prays that we may be filled with the knowledge of YOUR will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding (v. 9). That sounds good to me. I would like to know what YOUR will is for my life; what job do YOU have for me, where do YOU want me to go, what do YOU want me to say, etc… Basically, I only want spiritual wisdom and understanding to know stuff.

But that is not what Paul is talking about. He prays we would be filled with the knowledge of YOUR will so that we may walk in a manner worthy of YOU, fully pleasing YOU (10a). Then he goes on to describe how we can do this; by bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of YOU (10b). So knowing YOUR will for my life is not about knowing where I will be in five or ten years but knowing how to live each moment to please YOU. Not needing to hear YOUR voice tell me to reach out to a hurting person but simply bearing fruit in every good work that comes along. Not racking up points and trying to make YOU bless me but increasing each moment in my knowledge of YOU. It is so interesting that to know YOUR will is not about stuff but is about knowing YOU better.

Lord, let me know YOU today. Help me focus on YOU. Loving YOU, serving YOU, being YOUR hands. Don’t let me be caught up in religious thinking but in relational thinking. Let me remained focused on YOU rather than YOUR will, YOUR face and not YOUR hand, YOUR presence and not YOUR presents.