God's Will For My Life?

Sunday afternoon a team of only 3 people left back for their home in Alabama. It was nice to have such a small group of people; they were able to do things around the camp as well as put together some of Marion's poems. I think it was also a good time of fellowship with us and them; some encouragement!

I've been learning a lot lately about letting go of my plans and letting God have His way. Sometimes it's hard for us to know God's "will for our lives" and we spend too much time trying to figure out what the exact right way is. I was reading an excerpt from a book called “Forgotten God” by Francis Chan. I think this is extremely true and important, so I’m just going to share some of what he says:

“How many times have you heard someone say, ‘I just wish I knew God’s will for my life’? I know I’ve longed for this before. But now I see it as a misguided way of thinking and talking.

There are very few people in the Scriptures who received their life plan from God in advance (or even their five-year plan, for that matter!) Consider Abraham, who was told to pack up his family and all his possessions and start walking. He didn’t know where he was going. He didn’t know if he would ever be back. He didn’t know any of the details we consider vital.

I think a lot of us need to forget God’s will for my life. God cares more about our response to His Spirit’s leading today, in this moment, than about what we intend to do next year. In fact, the decisions we make next year will be profoundly affected by the degree to which we submit to the Spirit right now, in today’s decisions.

We do know that we are called to keep in step with the Holy Spirit. In Paul’s letter to the Galatians we read, ‘But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh…If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.’ (5:16, 25)

God wants us to listen to His Spirit on a daily basis, and even throughout the day, as difficult and stretching moments arise, and in the midst of the mundane. My hope is that instead of searching for God’s will for my life, each of us would learn to seek hard after the Spirit’s leading in my life today. May we learn to pray for an open and willing heart, to surrender to the Spirit’s leading with that friend, child, spouse, circumstance, or decision in our lives right now.”