Discerning the Will of God.

Hello! Hope you all are having a great Monday so far! Mines been kinda hectic, but overall not too shabby. James and I both had most of the weekend off, which was super nice and very relaxing. We had a chance to walk by Grapevine Lake near one of the marinas—something we’ve wanted to do for a while, and even made a trip to Trader Joes [the best store…ever]. Overall it was a great weekend, and I’ll try and post some pictures later in the week from our adventures:)

Anyways. This morning I was reading in Romans, and I came across a familiar verse from Romans 12…

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:2

I’ve read this verse many times—even memorized it back in the day. But, for some reason it really stuck out to me this morning. As I was asking God what he wanted to speak to me about concerning this verse, I began to see the words in a new light—different from the past times I have read them.

I desperately want to know what God’s will is for my life, and I truly want to do what he tells me. But how? How can I be certain of what God is showing or saying to me? How can I truly know his will for my life? Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The first step in knowing God’s will for my life is to stop thinking like the world does. If my mind is functioning at the same level and focusing on the same things as the world does, how can I expect to truly discern what God’s will is for me? I may be able to figure out what the world would have me do, or what I, in my selfishness, would have me do, but that is simply not good enough.

The world we live in is driven by success. And how successful you are is determined by the size of house you live in, the type of car you drive, the clothes you wear, and the amount of money in your bank account. But, God’s idea of ‘success’ is quite different. He doesn’t care what you look like, what kind of car you drive, or even how much money you have. What he does care about is whether or not you follow the plans and purposes he has spoken over your life. Or if you choose to pursue the passions he has placed within your heart—even if the world rejects you. Because at the end of the day, it’s not going to mater how much money you have, or what kind of car you drive. What is going to matter are the choices you made, and the work you were able to do in furthering God’s kingdom here on earth.

So, how do I know what God’s will is for my life? Stop thinking like the world does, and instead focus on pleasing God. Start getting rid of the distractions around me. Renew my mind in the Word of God. By setting my mind on Christ, I will then be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. I can’t just keep doing my own thing, hoping that eventually down the road my will and God’s will for my life will match up. It just doesn’t work that way. I need to be open and willing to do whatever he tells me, and the only way I can do this is by not choosing to conform to the thinking patterns of this world any longer. Only then will I truly be able to understand God’s will for my life.

Just some things that I’ve been journaling about lately—maybe you can relate. Trying to determine God’s will for our lives can be really frustrating at times, but when we truly surrender our minds and wills to him, the peace we will experience is worth the initial frustration.

Have a great rest of your Monday—God Bless!