“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
One of the trickiest matters of faith is understanding God’s will. Some people agonize over God’s will. What does God want me to do? We can become paralyzed by fear that we’ll make a wrong move and violate God’s purposes.
The 2017 explanation to Luther’s Small Catechism offers enormously helpful guidelines for discerning God’s will.
God’s ultimate will is that we believe in Jesus, live the Christian life, and reject the devil and all that would hinder our walk with the Lord.
Then the explanation offers this Q&A:
Question: “Should I be anxious about discerning God’s precise will in my daily decisions?”
Answer: “God has given clear commands about many matters of daily life (Ten Commandments). However, God also leaves many other daily decisions up to us (what to eat, where to go to school, what kind of car to purchase, and so on). We need not worry about trying to discern God’s precise will when making these kinds of decisions, for we know that we live under His fatherly care.”
That answer relieves significant pressure:
- God gives us clear guidelines about the things that matter most in His Word. When in doubt, see what the Bible says.
- There’s not necessarily a right or wrong answer for many things. At the grocery store, you can choose Wheaties or Cheerios, and either choice is ok!
- God is going to love you no matter what. Even if you mess up, going back to the introduction to the Lord’s Prayer, He’s still your heavenly Father who loves you unconditionally!
In this petition of the Lord’s Prayer, we pray that we would honor God in all of our decisions, just as He is honored perfectly in heaven by all the saints and angels.
Are you facing big decisions today? Pray for God’s guidance and trust that He will guide you. Sometimes His guidance comes through His Word. Sometimes His guidance comes through wise counsel. Other times His direction comes through your conscience or a gut feeling. Our part is to ask, seek, and knock. His part is to direct us. We trust in His faithfulness to guide us to live in accordance with His will.
Tomorrow: Worrier for Hire!
Yesterday: A Word to Control Freaks
On Wednesday, July 1, we’re opening the church from 7-8 p.m. for a guided prayer experience. It’s titled “Speak Up: Prayer Vigil for Healing and Peace in America.” We’ll be walking through the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer and praying for specific needs in our nation.
Pastor Chris Kennedy 