“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.”  John 6:38 (NIV)  

We are here on this earth for God’s - pleasure! It is not about us! It is not about what we want to do – it is not about my pleasure or your pleasure! It is not about anything but what God wants done moment by moment! 

“They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. So, Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.  The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”  Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.”  John 8:27-29 (NIV) 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love  he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will —  to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.”  Ephesians 1:3-10 (NIV) 

If we have given our life to God, then what makes people think that anything about our life after that doesn’t belong to God? It is from that point on (if we meant it) all about what God wants us to do, what He wants us to say and when He wants us to say it!  

When did Jesus ever set any other example? There is nowhere in the Bible that says differently! Now, here are some intense truths:

Truth #1 - Your relationship with God is not more important than doing your best to carry out what God put you here to do!

Truth #2 - Your relationship with God is not more important than His will being accomplished! Let’s put this another way:  Your relationship with God is not more important than you completing whatever He tells you to do each day! Your relationship with God is important but it is not the most important thing! It shouldn’t take priority over the things He tells you to do! Obeying God is the most important action in your life!

Here is an example: I know people who get up in the morning and spend time with God. They spend a full 20-30 minutes in prayer, and I’m not saying, ‘listening to God’, I’m saying in prayer. Asking God “Do this, …and God, I think you should do that …and God will you do this …and God heal this person, and God this person needs your help …etc.!”

After they spend 20-30 minutes in prayer, they may spend another 15-20 minutes reading their Bible, and then maybe another 10 minutes listening to praise music. Then they go on with the rest of the day the way they feel it should go! Why? They have not stopped and listened for God to speak to them. And they would be the first ones to argue with me that their relationship with God is much more valuable than anything they could do for God. You know what? I’m sure glad that Jesus didn’t think that way, or none of us would be here today. 

Jesus fully obeyed God – even unto His own death. And yet we value our relationship with God, and we negate the weighty things that we should be doing for God to accomplish His will on this earth!  Jesus knew what God wanted Him to accomplish each day and His Father’s direction came first!

I don’t know any other way to say it! God’s will comes first!  His will comes first over anything else in our day! God’s will must be accomplished on this earth through you, whether it is going to the grocery store, whether it is cleaning, whether it is working on your car, or mowing the lawn! It even means not answering the phone when it rings! It is His will for the moment that comes first no matter what! His perfect will comes before anything!

Truth #3 - You cannot know God unless you obey Him! Why? If we are not obeying God, we put a wedge between Him and us, because we’re in disobedience and it builds, and it builds and it builds.

Truth #4 - You cannot obey Him unless you know Him! The two go hand in hand. What do I mean when I say you cannot know God unless you obey Him?

God is going to ask you to do something or try to prompt you to do something, but He’s not going to beg you to do it. And our disobedience is the wedge between us and God. It’s going to affect our relationship with Him! You’re not going to really know Him, because you are going to be running from Him. When we disobey God, we stand before Him, and He says to do ‘this’ today. We say “ok” and then we go off and do what we want to do. Whenever we do what we want to do, we’re walking away from God. i.e., Jonah! He disobeyed God and ran. The two go hand in hand: Obedience – Relationship! Relationship – Obedience!

Life Tool!

Your relationship with God and His will for your day takes precedence over your focus on everything!

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work”. (John 4:34)

“By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me”. (John 5:30)

The word ‘will’ - Strong’s #2307:

…His desire

…His pleasure

…of the purpose of God to bless… 

…of what God wishes to be done by us

…of the purpose of God to bless mankind through Christ.

God wants to bless us through His will. When we don’t do His will, we’re stopping Him from being able to accomplish something in somebody else’s life. I have heard people say the following: “Well, now God, I know you want me to do that. Let me take some time and process this. Let me see how we can get this accomplished, God. Just let me think this through, because if I do this, I’m not going to be able to be with my family. I’m not going to have any down time, I’m not going to be able to just hang out somewhere with my friends. I’m not going to be able to just veg and watch this game I want to see. I’m not going to be able to do anything I want to do.”  

Do you see what people do? It is me, me, and me! It is all about the person and what they want to do.

Let’s look at something right here …I have heard all my life about God’s permissive will. 

There is God’s will which is His perfect will and then there is disobedience!

You see “permissive will” would be a “gray area” and there are no gray areas with God!

Now what happened here? The people of Israel were disobedient, and their hearts were not after God! So, because they had rejected Him – God stepped back and allowed them to exercise their divine right to make a choice and they reaped what they sowed. Allow me to show you something here:

“From that time on, Yeshua (Jesus) began making it clear to his talmidim (disciples) that He had to go to Yerushalayim and endure suffering at the hands of the elders, the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers, and the that He had to be put to death, but on the third day, He had to be raised to life. Kefa (Peter) took Him aside and began rebuking Him,“Heaven be merciful, Lord! by no means will this happen to you!”  But Yeshua (Jesus) turned His back on Kefa (Peter), saying, “Get behind me Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because your thinking is from a human perspective, not from God’s perspective!”  Matthew 16:21-23 (Complete Jesus Bible)

We are all born with an inherent selfish nature – this is truth whether we like it or not! When things do not go our way – we don’t like that. For most people when this happens, they begin to ponder, figure out, and process how they can get things to go their way. They will manipulate, lie, cheat and some go to the farthest extent possible to turn things around for themselves. 

The above sounds and appears to be like someone who doesn’t claim to be a lover of God. But! Most people who claim to love God and be a Christian do these things to have what they want.  

Man wants things the way he wants it, how he wants it and in the time frame he wants it! People who have ministries want things the way they want it, when they want it and how they want it! They will go to any links to bring people in so that they look good because of the ‘numbers’ they can quote to others! You know what I mean – ‘Oh, we had two hundred at our last meeting.’ Many people in ministry and many churches are building ‘empires’ instead of building ‘God’s Kingdom!’  Do you get my point? 

When people are running their ministries according to what they want – and how they think it should be, what does that tell you? This is what it tells me:  

“If God is NOT in control of your personal life, there is no way He can be in control of your ministry – so if He is not in control of your ministry – then who’s ministry, is it?” (sw-h) 

If God’s will does not line up with what we want, when we want it and how we want – we start wanting what we want and we get resentful because we are not getting it – then we start to take things into our own hands and when we do that, we take up an offence and we put a “stumbling block” into the path of God’s will. And friends – when we do that, we have made a choice and God will not go against that choice! 

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all ‘these’ things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  (Matthew 6:33 NIV)     

Thought: I am too impatient to wait for God’s direction and intervention so, I’m just going to handle things on my own. . .

Thought: I can’t continue with the way things are going now. . .

Issue: Resentment!

God will allow us to choose or have anything we want because everything is permissible! 

“Everything is permissible” but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible” – but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. (I Corinthians 10:23-24 NIV)

(See I Corinthians 6:12)

NOW! When we are talking to God – we should never say, “Can I do this?”  “Can I have this?” YES, you can do anything you want to, and you can have anything you want to! BUT! Is it God’s will for your life? Is it God’s best for your life? God’s will in the sense of what He needs to accomplish on this earth comes even before human life. (Genesis 6:13; Genesis 19:29; Exodus 11; I Samuel 8:18)

God told Saul through the Prophet Samuel to wipe out the Amalekites. He did not do what God said. So, God dealt with Saul: I Samuel 15:16-29. God took Saul’s Anointing: (I Samuel 16:14)

“You can’t obey God if you are hazy about what He wants you to do. But most people lack a clear idea of how to discern His voice. They depend on feelings and impressions to interpret His will, which is unreliable and dangerous. What they feel is highly subjective. It is influenced by what they want, what is going on in their lives and even how much sleep they got last night. Some terrible mistakes have been made by believers who thought they had heard the voice of the Lord. It is helpful to seek advice from those spiritually mature and solid in their faith. A godly counselor or pastor can assist you in avoiding the common mistakes that confuse people. Do nothing impulsively. Give God an opportunity to “speak”. Until He does, stall for time.”

Dr. James C. Dobson

Focus On -the Family Magazine, February 1996

“Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?”  (John 6:61 NIV)

“When your mind is offended - is it to reveal your heart?” (Jack Deere)

“I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.  And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.  (John 5:36-40)

 

(sw-h)

Fresh Life Tools, Inc., USA