SYNC: How to Know God's Will for You

Friday, November 26, 2010

SYNC: How to Know the Will of God

Ephesians 5:17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Everybody wants to know their future. Imagine having the super power of foresight. The rise in demand for fortune telling, feng shui, and horoscopes indicates that people are indeed fascinated in knowing their future. Growing up, I saw feng shui experts come into our house, telling us how to position our rooms, doors, furniture, and even discouraging us from having our swimming pool because it would cause us bad luck and is said to be bad for business. Time and time again, our church receives calls and e-mails asking our pastoral team which direction they should take or which decisions to make.

One of the most common question people ask me is:

How do I learn God’s will for my life?

Does he really have a will for my life? For my family? My business? My nation?


A familiar verse in the Bible gives us a clue as to how we can learn what God’s will is. I hope that through this little book, I could help and journey with you in discovering God’s will for your life.

Romans 12:1-2Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. 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.

Yes, you read that right – God’s will is good, pleasing and perfect.

But I thought God was this giant cosmic killjoy whose main goal is to make me miserable with all the do’s and don’ts. I thought God only communicates to spiritual giants like the pastors and the ministers, but not to ME! And I thought that only old religious people can know God’s will.


George Sweeting, in his book, “How to Discover The Will of God”, says,

“One of the most thrilling realities in all of life is the realization that God has a plan for your life! That’s right!

God has a plan and a design for every one of us. And when we discover that plan- then, and only then, can we find true

meaning and an eternal purpose for our existence.”

Here is the good news: Everybody can know God’s will for his or her life.


Why are people fascinated to know the will of God for their lives? Why is there an innate desire for us to pray and ask God for His will even if we know that sometimes it goes against our will? I can think of three reasons why we need to know the will of God:

God knows best.Here is a simple life rule: If I want to mess up my life, – I’ll run it. If you want a blessed life, – run to the one who created you. If I have problems with my MacBook, don’t go to a carpenter and ask him to fix it. I don’t go to a doctor, I go to the Apple Store for the simple reason that they created the MacBook. When faced with major crossroads, what do we usually do? We run to our friends and family first instead of running to God and we usually end up with wrong advice because they are just as clueless as we are when it comes to the will of God for their lives.

Jeremiah 33:3 Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.

Psalms 25:4-5 Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.


God knows the futureOne of the hymns that I love has a line that goes:

“For I know who holds the future and I know who holds my hand.”

God knows the future and we don’t. One of the craziest practices which always leaves me dumbfounded is when people seek a fortuneteller to ask what the future holds for them. They pay someone who doesn’t have a clue about the future their hard-earned money. How can I say they don't have a clue? If fortunetellers did know the future, they would have been rich by now and would not be fortunetellers!

Proverb 27:1 Donʼt brag about tomorrow, since you donʼt know what the day will bring.

Here are some Scriptures on why we need to trust on God for our future.

Isaiah 46:9-10 Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.


God has already mapped our future and if we trust and fully surrender to Him we will be able to walk the road He has laid out for us.

Jeremiah 1:5 “I knew you before I formed you in your motherʼs womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

Ephesians 2:10 For we are Godʼs masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Talk about strategic planning – God is the master planner.

God commands that we know His willThird reason shows us why God is God. He commands us to know His will. It is our responsibility to know His will – that is why this book is so crucial to help you understand what the will of God is and help you discover you it.

Ephesians 5:17 Donʼt act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

We need to understand what the Lord wills for us to do. And the call is not just to understand but to fully obey His will.

Ephesians 6:6 Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart.


Let us look at these three keywords describing God’s will.

GOOD Good will means not bad. He wants what’s best for us. You don’t want what’s bad for you, right?

Imagine this God of the universe who wants what is best for us. Before you start thinking of a sports car, a beautiful model as your wife, three mansions, a 3D TV – let me put this into proper perspective.

Here is where a lot of Christians don’t get it. They think that God is this genie in a lamp that they can just rub and ask for three wishes that would make them happy, prosperous, and healed.

Jesus’ goal at the cross was not our happiness but our holiness. That we might be conformed to His likeness and that makes it good.

Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Not conformed to this world but conformed to His son, Jesus. The good will God wants is for us to be Christ-like. If you think financial prosperity is the crux of the cross then you are in for a disappointment. I have seen more people destroyed by riches than poverty. I have seen more people destroyed by the material things of this world. Christ’s heart is to prepare you for His will and if it means pruning you and delaying material blessings, then He will be glad to do so.


PLEASINGPleasing will means it pleases God, glorifies God, and not pleasing a desire that is the craving of our flesh and eye's lust.

I remember an incident in church when a young lady approached me wanting to be prayed for. I asked her what her concern was and she told me that she wants to get married to this guy because God told her that he was “The One”. So I asked, “Why do we want us to pray?” Her answer, “because he is married”. I told her that I can’t pray for God to bless your relationship – it is not pleasing to Him and it is not glorifying.


Perfect

Perfect does not mean no pain or no problems on the way but it means God reigns supreme and He is sovereign over His will in your life. Walking in God’s will makes it perfect because you know you have someone to back you up anytime, anywhere.

Perfect = God reigns supreme and He is sovereign over His will in your

life.


The Art of SyncingI married a beautiful woman who loves to communicate. They say women use on the average, double amount the of words that men use. That means if an average man speaks 50,000 words a day, an average woman speaks 100,000 words a day. They say the reason women use twice the amount of words is because they have to repeat everything they say when they speak to their man. But seriously, women love to communicate. Women want men to understand them. To listen. Not just any kind of listening but a listening that requires understanding.

Let me illustrate: A woman suddenly gives you the cold shoulder and you ask her if you did anything wrong, and she says “Nothing”. Nothing means SOMETHING. So you follow up with, “Are you okay?” And she says, “FINE”. Fine means NOT FINE. What does this mean? It means communication is more

than just words. It goes beyond words. As what they say, talk is cheap.

Instead of just talking and listening, a man must learn how to sync with their woman. Let me first define the word sync.


SYNC

Sync, according to the 1828 dictionary means to synchronize or to agree.

It is like ballroom dancing. I remember taking up ballroom dancing in college and I was tasked to dance with four of my female classmates for our final exam. The goal was for me to lead and for my dancing partner to be led. That means we were required to be synchronized—and we did NOT! I was not born to dance. The only time I dance is when I am in the shower. Dancers who are not in sync with each other don’t look good.

The art of syncing with my wife means that even without words, we can communicate. The gestures she uses or the silence I feel is enough to tell me how she feels. It is a spiritual oneness that you feel when you are one with your wife.

It is the same way with our relationship with God. Even before we can know God’s will, we must be in harmony with God first. To be in sync is having the same heartbeat.

Amos 3:3 - Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?


The story is told of the great composer, Felix Mendelssohn, visiting a German cathedral to see a new organ. It was in his early life, and though his music was well known, he was not. When he arrived at the cathedral, he found a young organist practicing. It so happened that the young man was playing one of Mendelssohn’s own pieces. Mendelssohn walked up to the young organist and without introducing himself requested to play the new instrument. The young organist refused, saying that he did not allow any strange hands to touch this keyboard. Mendelssohn lingered for a brief moment and then wandered about the sanctuary. However in a little while he returned and asked, “My friend, will you allow me to play just a little?”

The young organist was angered and asked Mendelssohn to leave the building saying, “No inexperienced hands dare touch the keyboard of this new organ.” Again Mendelssohn retreated and even left the sanctuary, but try as he would, he could not go away. His soul was filled with desire, and he yearned for an opportunity to play the new instrument. For the third time, he returned and said, “ My friend, excuse me, but I feel I must ask you once again. Please let me sit down and play the organ, just a little.”

Exasperated by his eagerness and persistence, the young organist consented to let him play. Mendelssohn sat down and began adjusting the instrument to suit him, while the young organist started to leave the sanctuary but as soon as Mendelssohn began to play, the young man rushed back to the organ and looking earnestly at the composer asked, “Tell me sir, who are you?” He said, “My name is Mendelssohn.” “Oh forgive me, I didn’t know who you were. Just think, I wouldn’t let the master musician take my place and play my instrument!” exclaimed the young organist.


Knowing the will of God means knowing the Master. It is while playing music with the

master who takes the lead as we sit back in amazement that we exclaim, “Master, I am not

worthy, I surrender my life to you.”

Ephesians 1:9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,


Why do we have a hard time syncing with God?

The first reason is because we don’t know God.

The basic foundation of any relationship is TRUST, but if we don’t have a close relationship with God, then how can we trust him? Many have grown up believing that this God is a distant God or a God who doesn’t really care, so why bother?

Some people relate God with their earthly father. Some see God as the rule maker. Some see God as a distant God. These misconceptions about God have hindered us from knowing who He really is. The Bible paints us a picture of who we are before Christ saved us.

Romans 3:10-11 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.

It is also very important to remember that God reveals Himself and His will in His word, the Scripture. The will of God and the word of God are inseparable.

“Has it ever struck you that the vast majority of the will of God for your life has already been revealed in the Bible?” – Paul Little


The second reason is because we are conformed to the will of others and of the world.

We have embraced what the world tells us to embrace. We have defined ourselves by how the world defines us. Our very identity is based on how the world system has valued us.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 Godʼs will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor—1Thessalonians 4:7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.

2Corinthians 6:17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Donʼt touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.


This is why Paul reminds us to not conform to the patterns of this world.

Romans 12:2 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.

One of my favorite TV series is “Lie to Me”, not because I love lying but because the show reflects a great reality people experience every single day which is lying to themselves. Since our will is not aligned with the will of God, we lie to ourselves to convince ourselves that what we are about to do is right. We are good at self-deception.

Have you ever heard yourself saying, “This won’t hurt anybody,” “I’ll only do it once,” “I’ll be careful,” “I can handle it,” or “I can quit whenever I want to”?


One of the things I try to lie to myself about involves my health. I can even give two verses to justify my foolishness.

Genesis 45:18I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’

Ecclesiastes 2:24A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,

Sometimes it is not God’s will or even our will, but the will of the people around us that which we try to live out. I have seen young people live the life that their parents want for them, even if it is in clear contradiction of God’s will. I also have heard of stories of people who, out of embarrassment or shame, follow the will of their friends. I have also heard of women give in to pre-marital sex because they are afraid that their boyfriend will leave them if they don't. Against their will, they give up their virginity in exchange for temporary security.

1John 2:15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.

Others have simply succumbed to the will of the world. Following the patterns of this world, men have walked in the way of destruction. 0% Financing, Buy one get one free, 30 day trial risk free, Just click here – Girls Gone Wild, Make Millions Now.


So what do we do when the Scripture is silent about certain areas that we need to decide on? What if God is silent, how can I know His will? I love how the Apostle Paul tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds which means that you have to come to the point where you can apply Scriptural principles to make decisions in areas that seems grey.

Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

God will work in you and teach you to do His will when the matter seems grey. He gives us His wisdom, the power of the Holy Spirit and His mind to make decisions and to choose His will.

1Corinthians 2:16 For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.


A.W. Tozer in his article “Four Ways to Find God’s Will” he observed,

“On the surface, it might appear more spiritual to seek God’s leading than just to go ahead and do the obvious thing but it isn’t. If God gives you a watch, are you honoring Him more by asking Him what time it is or by simply consulting the watch? If God gives a sailor a compass, does the sailor please God more by kneeling in a frenzy of prayer to persuade God to show him which way to go, or should he just steer according to the compass? Except for those things that are specifically commanded or forbidden in the Scriptures, it is God’s will that we be free to exercise our own intelligent choice…. In almost everything that touches our everyday life on earth, God is pleased when we are pleased. He wills that we be as free as birds to soar and sing our Maker’s praise without anxiety. God’s choice for us may not be only one but rather any one of a score of possible choices.

The man or woman who is wholly and joyously surrendered to Christ can’t

make a wrong choice–any choice will be the right one.”


THE THREE KINDS OF WILL

The will of God is manifested in three ways. Understanding these three kinds of will will eliminate some of the confusion that people have regarding the will of God.

The first will is called the providential will of God. It means things that God is going to do because He is God. You don’t have to pray for it to happen. Some example of the providential will of God includes:

God sending His Son Jesus on earth.

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Galatians 4:4-5

We cannot stop God from doing that and no amount of prayer would have made him change His mind.


Another example is Judgment Day:

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. Revelation 20:12

You don’t have to pray for it to happen. It will happen and you have to be ready when it happens. No amount of human intervention can change God’s schedule when it comes to Judgment Day. Throughout history, God has used people to fulfill His providential will. The Virgin Mary was chosen to carry Jesus in her womb. It was prophesied thousands of years ago and it was a prophecy that was fulfilled according to God’s timeline and providential will.


The second kind of will is called the moral will of God.

The moral will of God are God’s commandments that we need to follow. Consider these questions:

Lord, is it your will that I cheat on my wife and marry this other girl?Lord, is it your will for me to be yoke together with someone who doesn’t worship and acknowledge you as Lord and Savior?Lord, is it your will for me to not leave my parents as I start my own family?Lord, is it your will for me to cheat in my business? My tests?

Anything that contradicts the Scriptures and God’s moral standards is considered a sin and thus cannot be called God’s will – no matter how everything is falling perfectly into place.

1Peter 2:15-17For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, and honor the king.


What does God want for my life?

The third kind of will is called the personal will of God.

This will asks, “What does God want for my life?” In his book, “The Perfect Will of God”, G. Christian Weiss asks:

“Can you think of a Father who has no will or plan for the life of his son? Can you imagine a mother who has no clear will or define ambition for her daughter? Can you imagine a man who has no special desire or pattern in the one he chooses to be his wife? Can you conceive of a king or ruler who has no will or desire or law to govern the conduct of his people? A captain who has no plan for his soldiery? An employer who has no plan or pattern to guide the labor of his workers? If so, then you may also think that God does not have a plan for your life, for every one of these symbols is used in the Bible to represent the relation the Christian bears to his Lord.”


There are a number of Scriptures that talks about the personal will of God for our lives:

2Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Hebrews 1:1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets.

Hebrews 1:1 talks about how God would communicate to our ancestors through the prophets revealing His sovereign will over our lives. His will is so that we would not perish but that we would come to repentance.

This is where the rubber meets the road. A lot of tension happens in the personal will of God. It is not because we can’t hear from God or that He does not reveal His will, but we as Christians have a tendency to say, “God show me your will and I’ll consider it.”

I love how in one of Andy Stanley’s preaching he pointed out that: God does not give us directions for consideration, but he assumes participation. When we talk about syncing with God we are saying “Lord your kingdom come, your will be done.” We have assumed the role of a passenger while God drives the car to his destination.


I remember when I worked for our family business, my dad was my boss. When we are in the office – he is not just my dad but he is “the boss”. I can’t wear my “I am your son” ID. I still have to follow the rules and obey what the boss orders or else, just like in any other company, I am fired. When we say “God I want your will to be done,” we are giving him the reign over our life, our decisions, our dreams, and our direction. I maybe God’s son but He is still God.

Saul, while walking in Damascus was blinded by a strange light and God radically changed him without asking for permission. How dare He? Yes, don’t dare Him. Moses was working peacefully in the desert when God showed up and gave him the mantle of leadership to lead the millions of Israelites out of Egypt. Talk about invasion. God is in the business of invading the lives of people without their permission.

“God does not give us directions for consideration, but he assumes participation.”

- ANDY STANLEY


So to make things easier for you here is some unsolicited advice:

Come to the point in where you are totally surrendered to God so that when he says something, all you say is “Yes Lord.”

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

The last time I checked my Bible, “all” means ALL. We acknowledge God’s participation in all our ways.

1Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

He then commands us not to lean on our own understanding

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God doesn’t say, “Here are some options” or “If you like you can, but only if you like”.


One of the misquoted verses in the Bible is:

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalms 37:4

A lot of people think it is God’s business to give us the desires of our heart and that the world revolves around us, but if you carefully look at the verse it begins with, “Delight yourself in the Lord– which means submit to His authority.

Love what he loves and hate what he hates. Pray what he wants us to pray, like what he wants, be consumed with what He is consumed with.


Jesus was the ultimate example when it comes to syncing with God. On the verge of his death and facing the brutality of the cross, Jesus had an option to opt out and ask God to beam Him up to heaven, but instead He prayed the most agonizing prayer He has ever prayed. The Bible even described Jesus having sweat like blood.

Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”Luke 22:43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. Luke 22:44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

As much as I don’t want to be in Jesus’ shoes, we are faced with a choice everyday to either sync with God and His will or choose our own path. I pray that this small book would help you not just discern God’s will for your life, but get you syncing with God himself. Are you ready to Sync?

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours

be done.”


About the Author

Dennis Sy is the Senior Pastor of Victory Greenhills which was planted last November 2007. He is the husband to Thammie Sy (http://thammiesy.com), and father to two beautiful girls, Alyanna and Mika.

Blogs of Dennis Sy:

Clueless Church Planter ( http://www.dennissy.com)

Act Like a Man ( http://actlikeaman.org)

You can follow his tweets:

https://twitter.com/DennisSiaSy

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SYNC: How to Know God's Will for You

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