Getting beyond the guesswork (1)

Remember the party game Pin the Tail on the Donkey? Winning in that game was ‘a-stab-in-the-dark’ process. And many of us resort to a similar method for working out God’s will and purpose for our lives. But it doesn’t have to be like that. Here are some scriptural strategies that take the guesswork out of it. 1) Commit yourself to obeying God’s will. We won’t be able to understand God’s will until we wholeheartedly commit ourselves to doing it. If we hold on to a desire to go our own way, it’ll blind us to His way. We often want all the details, but we don’t actually need them to get started – it’s a journey of faith. We can be confident that God loves us and wants only the best for us. When we submit ourselves to Him, we will ‘be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect’ (Romans 12:2 NCV). 2) Listen for the Shepherd’s voice and trust it. Jesus doesn’t leave us alone to figure out His will for our lives. He’s our Good Shepherd, and His ‘sheep recognise his voice…He…leads them…and they follow him because they know his voice’ (John 10:3-4 NLT). Pay attention to the words, ‘recognise his voice’. With time and experience, we’ll learn to know when God is speaking to us. Just like Abraham, who submitted to God’s will without knowing where it would take him, we’re called to surrender our will without knowing where He’ll lead us. It takes faith, but it’s worth it. God promises wisdom, insight, and understanding to any person who lacks them (see James 1:5-6). So let’s believe and trust Him when He calls us.