| Questions College Students Ask, Part 7 |
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| Written by David Lawrence |
| Monday, February 18 2008 00:00 |
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Question: “What are some verses that we can use to assure us that the decisions we make (for job, school, etc.) reflect the will of God and not just our own ambitions?” This is another question that is often asked. There are no specific verses that give us such assurance, but the assurance comes in our own hearts. If in our hearts we know that we are seeking God’s will, then we may rest in some degree of confidence that we shall make decisions accordingly. However, if our hearts testify that we are pursuing our own ambitions, then we can have no assurance that we are choosing according to God’s revealed will. We may take comfort in the fact that if we love God and are called according to His purpose, then whatever occurs in our lives is for our good (Rom. 8:28). We understand that God is causing these good things to happen, and thus that God is unfolding a good purpose for our lives day by day. Paul also wrote that God works everything according to the counsel of His own will (Eph. 1:11), and that God is at work in us both to will and to do his good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). Thus, if I love God and trust in His Word, then I know that whatever happens in my life is the outworking of His purpose. I know that if God is at work in my will, then my choices will reflect His plan and not my personal ambition. In addition to faith in the fact that God is always at work in our lives, I would suggest that in every major decision in life we first should pray for God’s guidance and then make a careful examination of the various choices we can make and the likely consequences of those choices. Then we should again pray and also seek godly counsel. Finally, we should pray and then make our decision. With ample prayer, thoughtful and careful research and investigation, and the aid of the counsel of godly friends and advisors, we can have assurance that what we decide will be in accord with God’s will at that point in our lives. He may change the direction of our lives a number of times, but we must always rest in the assurance that He does know what He is doing and that He is working toward a glorious end for us. |
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