Do What You Want (continued)

Seeking God's will is done most effectively through a four step process. Seeking God's will in the Bible and seeking God's will in prayer have been discussed. Here are the remaining two:

Seek God's will in the counsel of others. God has placed wise, mature Christians in your life to help you discern God's specific will. Your parents, grandparents, other family members, your youth leader, your Sunday school teacher, and your minister may fill this role. Seeking the objective opinion of others may keep you from making an emotional decision on your own. Also, a mature believer can speak from a background of experiences you may not have.

Seek God's will in your circumstances. God often directs us through external circumstances that are seemingly beyond our control. For example, you may have a special aptitude for music and be offered a generous scholarship. But suppose you have no resources for college. Just because circumstances seem to be against you does not mean a music career is not in God's specific will for your life. Circumstances must be balanced by Scripture, prayer, and the wise counsel of others.

Let's assume that you are conforming your life to God's universal will (salvation, submission, life in the Spirit, etc.) and you have sought His specific will in Scripture, prayer, counsel, and circumstances. How do you decide what to do? Simply do what you want to do. Psalm 37:4 promises, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." You are free to follow the desires of your heart! And believe that if your desires are somehow not in God's will, He will make it clear to you.