God Guides

Believers want to know what the will of God is for their lives. Often, however, this seems to be clouded in some sort of mystery that can seem all too difficult to ascertain. Yet Paul in Ephesians 1:9-10 states that "He has made known the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself...that ...He might gather together in one all things in Christ...in Him." The mystery of His will is not about me. It is about Him. The focus of being in His will is not about God moving to where I am but is about me moving to where God is. "God willed to make known...this mystery...which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." The will of God is that believers will discover and realise the fullness of Christ whose character DNA is already in them.

The story of Joseph in Genesis is about his journey, not unlike our own journey, which culminates in the realisation that the will of God is not about him as such, but is about the fulfilment of a much bigger purpose - the saving of many lives! Joseph experiences character development as he faces twists and turns of events and circumstances much of which was beyond his control. The purpose of trials is to grow us so that we can embrace with grace the purposes of God designed to bring growth and blessing to both ourselves and others. Joseph realised that the purposes of God were not just about him but were actually collective in nature.

The will of God is never just about the individual. It is always about the body of Christ. One of the cardinal rules of outdoor adventures is that you never venture alone. I have been more that thankful on the occasions when I have been capsized but rescued by those around me. Travel together, not alone! Fellowship together is needful not optional if we are to realise the purposes of God. The challenge for us is abandon our obsession with purely personal goals and to live for the cause of Christ who gave Himself for all people. 

Godly guidance will always be constrained by the character of God. The Holy Spirit wants to grow us into the likeness of the Son's character. "Therefore be imitators of God..." (Eph.5:1) Again the focus of guidance is more about our being than our doing. Often we want to know what we should be doing but His guidance is always about our being. In other words it is about our growth in terms of His character. The will of God never strays beyond who He is. Like a river, its course will be influenced by its banks. If its banks represent His character. the believer is designed in Christ to be in the river, not outside its banks.

This blog is based on a message by Ross Smith at The Vine, Logan City, Queensland, Australia on Sunday 10th July 2016. The full message can be accessed by podcast www.thevine.org.au/teaching.