There have been moments in all of our faith walks where we have questioned whether or not something was God’s will? Some of these moments have involved life changes, such as, marriage, job change, moving across town/state/country/world, etc. Other times we have questioned if something that was not happening was God’s will. Maybe you struggled to get pregnant, or were single longer than you’d hoped, or just haven’t had an open door to get out of a tough situation into something better. Discerning God’s will is a scary thing, but lately, I have been wondering why it scares us so much.
Here is why I question whether or not we should be afraid to discern and follow God’s will. When you come to faith in Jesus, the Bible tells us that you have become a child of God; you are invited to call God your Heavenly Father, and He calls you His child. In His famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about asking, seeking, and knocking on God’s door. After He tells us that God will answer, be found, and open the door, Jesus speaks a word that should challenge and encourage faith in God. Jesus asks which one of us, who are parents, if your child asked you for some bread, would instead give the child a stone to eat? Obviously, we would not deny our child food, nor would we give them something harmful, like a rock, to eat. Why does Jesus give us this silly analogy? He explains in 7:11, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
This week, we will be teaching our Heritage children about discernment and knowing right from wrong. When we consider how we want to live our life, that decision will impact every part of you, big and small. Whether you are trying to decide how to treat a friend, or if you are seeking an answer on a big life decision, we can have faith that God love for us is like a perfect father. He does not seek to lead you astray or do you harm, but desires what is best for you. Trust in His will, follow Him closely, and trust and love Him like you desire your children to trust and love you.
