Which Way Do I Go?

How do you know God's will for your life?

If you want to buy a car, does God care?

If you are trying to decide what college to go to, will God tell you?

If you need to go back to work but want to stay home, how do you know where God wants you?

If you get 2 job offers, how do you know which one to go with?

My girlfriend and I were pondering these questions the other day over breakfast. Amazingly enough tonight at the CFBC service, I heard the answer. You can hear the sermon at http://www.cfbc.org/. I'm going to print the highlights over the next several nights because the information is too much too swallow in one swig!

Don't go to EXTREMES!
Extreme #1 - Whatever doors God opens, I'll walk through. Whatever door God closes will be my sign.
God allows alcoholism, drug addicition, and He allowed the prodigal son to go his own way. God allows people to make choices and mistakes. This is not the right way to discern God's voice, so avoid this extreme!

I've heard people talk about open and closed doors. I thought it was right. I realized tonight that God allowed David to sleep with Bathsheba, Jonah to get swallowed by a whale, and Daniel in a den with lions.
Each one of these men of faith walked through the door with it standing wide open! God used each of their choices for good, but if each of these men were on The Price Is Right choosing between Door #1 and Door #2 we probably would have been screaming for them to choose "the other" door! We can't rely on closed doors, we must rely on God's voice, options, questions, and walking! (We'll get to those tomorrow.)

Extreme #2 - I'm not going to do anything until God tells me what to do.
God knows what you need and he will confirm it. We can't sit around waiting. Obey what you know until He shows you what to do. Sometimes God is waiting on us to obey before he shows us what to do, so don't go to this extreme!

The pastor shared the story of a college friend who was a dynamic speaker. The friend was going to make an incredible preacher. When they graduated from college the friend asked our pastor, "Are you going to find a church in which to preach?" Our pastor politely replied, "No, I'm going to seminary." To which the young student responded, "I'm not going to seminary until I have a church."

Our pastor went on to seminary. Got his degree. Moved to Louisianna, started pastoring a church and teaching as an adjunct professor at the seminary. Low and behold, on the first day of class, who do you think was sitting in the front row? His friend from college. It was the young man's first seminary class.

The young man wasted all those years, instead of obeying what he knew - get an education and be prepared when God calls, he sat around waiting for "the door" to open.

When wrestling with God's will for our lives - whether it's a job, a house, a spouse, or an education - don't rely on doors and obey what you know!

This is our first step! Think about it today and determine what doors you have been relying on. Turn your focus from doors to the father. Do what you know he wants you to do NOW. If you aren't sure, start with these 6 steps.
1. Pray each day
2. Read 1 proverb each day. (This will give you wisdom)
3. Surround yourself with people who are doing this same thing. Talk to them about it!
Think of all the other things you know God wants you to do...be kind, help others, respect authority!

Just remember: AVOID DOORS & OBEY WHAT YOU KNOW!