Want to Know God's Will? Do ya?

Want to Know God’s Will

Paul’s Final Advice

I say I want to know God’s will for me, my life, and the way I am to go. Paul instructs the people to listen to God’s instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22, NLT:

Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance.  Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.

Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.  See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.  Always be joyful.  Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.  Do not scoff at prophecies,  but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.  Stay away from every kind of evil.

God’s Will for Me

This passage helps me to understand God’s instructions, which goes against my natural inclinations. I have a self-centered nature, it started with Adam and Eve. When I make a conscious decision to do what God says, I will begin to see people in a new perspective.

• ·         Encourage each other and build each other up.
• ·         Warn those who are lazy
• ·         Encourage those who are timid
• ·         Be patient with everyone
• ·         Always be joyful
• ·         Never stop praying
• ·         Be thankful in all circumstances

Think about my openness to change – Look at my positive and negative traits. (keep us balanced by looking at both – positive & negative traits).

The 7 stages of change that people go through are:

• 1.   (I am Not yet acknowledging that there is a problem behavior that needs to be changed) 
• 2.    (I begin Acknowledging that there is a problem but not yet ready or sure if wanting to make a change) 
• 3.    (I am Getting ready to change) 
• 4.    (I grasp my Changing behavior)
• 5.    (I use Gods Way and Truth in Maintaining the behavior change) and
• 6.    (I may temporarily Return to older behaviors, abandoning the new changes)
• 7.   Start at Step 1 again!

·         How reluctantly the mind consents to reality.

·         But when I admit that I am powerless,

·         I invite God to bring me back into His truth,

·         rather than living in the fantasy land of rationalization and excuses. 

^Mirror

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.    You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

 (James 1:22-25, NLT).

                          (Chronological Study Bible)

“Finding” God’s Will for me

Some people talk about “finding” God’s Will for me—as if He could ever have lost it.  It may be that we feel separated. Our separation from God can feel real, but it is never permanent. Remember, He seeks the lost. When we can’t find God, we need to ask ourselves, “Who moved?” I’ll give you a hint. It wasn’t God!

For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away.… Nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us.  (Romans 8:38–39, TLB).

When We Fail to Change

When we keep doing things that we don’t want to do and when we fail to do the things we’ve decided we need to do, we begin to see that we do not, in fact, have the power to change that we thought we had. Life is coming into focus more clearly than ever before. Without God, I am a slave to sin, and powerless to change on my own.

Start admitting that our lives have become unmanageable.

When I got to this part of my recovery I shared David’s feelings that he expressed in Psalm 40:12 (TLB): “Problems far too big for me to solve are piled higher than my head. Meanwhile my sins, too many to count, have all caught up with me and I am ashamed to look up.”

Does that sound familiar? Only when my pain is greater than my fear will I be ready to honestly take the first step, admitting that I am powerless, and my life is unmanageable.

The only reason we consider that there’s something wrong, or that we want to talk to somebody, or that we want to take this step is because we finally can admit that some area—or all areas—of our lives have become unmanageable!

It is with this admission that we finally realize we are out of control and are powerless to do anything on our own.

Wrap-up

The power to change only comes from God’s grace. We do not deserve it, nor do we earn it – it is His gift to us – because He loves each one of us greatly – you – you & you. I thank Him daily for loving me, and giving me the ability to connect with you!

·         Are you ready to truly begin your journey of recovery?

·         Are you ready to stop denying the pain?

·         Are you ready to stop playing God?

·         Are you ready to start admitting your powerlessness?

·         To stop worrying, isolating, and escaping?

·         To start admitting that life has become unmanageable?

·         If you are, share it with God right now.

·         I encourage you to start working and living with God, in earnest.

·         If we admit we are powerless, 

Admit

·         we need a power greater than ourselves to restore us.

·         That power is our Lord and Savior—Jesus Christ!

·         He is with you right now – waiting for you to open the door!!!!

Rita Shipman, MCC

480-861-4487

Rita is a Christian Counselor who is seeking to grow in understanding and knowledge of God's word, "to be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with Him in the next". (Serenity Prayer).

https://www.facebook.com/notes/k-love-radio/knowing-gods-will/10157276148844056/

Adapt to my adoption? How?

Dear God,

Thank you for allowing me to speak to others about you.  Help me to "hear" with your ears, to "speak" with your words, and to "love" with your heart. I desire to apply your word to the life you have given me. You've created an adventure, and I look forward to the journey....Amen

I want to share a story: … about a little orphan kid in Viet Nam, he is clothed in rags, he steals to live, and eats out of garbage pails.  He hides when he hears a loud noise [fearing incoming fire], he hides when someone yells, (knowing he is going to be arrested for stealing), and his stomach hurts (when he cannot find enough food to eat, in the garbage).

An American soldier, cleans him up, adopts him, and brings him back to the States.  He gives him food, clothes, toys, his own room, and anything else he needs. But at meal time, this kid goes to the table and scarfs down every bit of food in sight, like there is not going to be three meals a day, plus snacks. 

He goes outside and hears thunder, runs back into the house, and hides under the bed.  

• [There is no incoming fire.]

He hears someone down the street yell. He runs and hides.  

• [They are just yelling "good morning".]

He looks at his adopted brothers and sisters, and thinks how weird they are. They act like this guy is REALLY their father; like they can really trust him; like they really belong here;  like His promises are REAL.

Then the light bulb goes on in his head and he begins to:

• ·         ADAPT TO HIS ADOPTION.

There are millions of Christians who have been Adopted by God

• ·         but have never adapted to their adoption.
• ·         They live with Fear, as though they were still on the street, 
• ·         They live as though they can't trust God. 
• ·         They believe that God loves the other kids best.

It is our responsibility to adapt to our adoption and become true members of God's family.

Scripture says in 2 Corinthians 5:17-18….

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.

Do I accept this? Do I believe God's Word? That I am a "new person"?

When I begin to believe it, I will take it in, and own it?

Here's how to begin:

• Do not give in to Satan's taunts, tempts, and jabbing...adapt to my adoption.
• Write out a verse a day, place it by the bed, on the bathroom counter, and by the coffee pot.
• Read that verse every day.
• Make it an active thought.

2 Corinthians 10:4 says, "We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments."

(v5) We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

Just seems too easy...write down scripture, read scripture, believe scripture...and God will handle the rest?  

Thank you Father, for your guidance. Thank you for loving me as I am today, without me having to try to earn your love. Thank you for making me a new creation. I want to sit with you, to learn more about you, your way, your truth, your love and your promises. I know you are with me, because your word tells me so. In Jesus precious name I pray. Amen

Rita Shipman, MCC

480-861-4487

Rita is a Christian Counselor who is seeking to grow in understanding and knowledge of God's word, "to be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with Him in the next". (Serenity Prayer).

She hopes to encourage others to do the same, to grow in relationship with God by reading His word, and then applying it to their lives!  God loves us all so much, much more than we can even imagine.