Knowing the Will of God

After yesterday's blog post I thought that this follow up would be helpful to write. Way back when I was a sophomore in college, my public speaking professor shared something that has stuck with me. Every day he would begin class with a devotional thought and prayer, and one day he talked about knowing the will of God for your life.

He gave three words: Ability, Desire, and Opportunity.

As you seek the will of God, he said, you'll know when you find it because those three things will all be present. As I look back at my own life, I see that to be true.

When I was little I wanted to be a professional baseball player. I had the desire, and though I'm a decent ball player when it comes to church softball (I realize that might not be saying much depending on your church softball experiences, but I'm a really smart, heads up ball player who knows what he's doing), I never played in league after seventh grade. I never played in high school, and haven't played baseball competitively since I was thirteen. I had the desire but not the ability and so I never got the opportunity.

When I stopped playing baseball I really got into wrestling. My goal was to be a State Champion. I worked harder than everyone because I had the desire to be the best. Because of my hard work I would have had a legitimate shot at it my senior year, but I never got the opportunity to go for it. It probably would have made me really cocky and God didn't want that, so He prevented me from getting my shot at it.

A few years ago I really got interested in the Navy SEALs. My mentality is that when I do something I want to be the very best at it. So logically if I had gone into the military I would have tried for SEAL, and I would have worked to be the best Navy SEAL there is. But I have glasses, to be a SEAL you've got to have 20/20 vision. I realize that if you go into the military doctors will fix your eyes for free, but at this point in my life, I am no longer in good enough shape to do it. Right out of high school as a wrestler in peak physical condition I might have had a shot. Desire is there, but ability isn't.

There are other things, for a while I was really into hunting, and I set these goals of wanting to hunt every big game animal in North America, wanting to hunt all six subspecies of turkey, I don't remember if I had a safari on the list or not. But over time I've slowly lost the desire for hunting. I'm a good shot, and I enjoy being in nature but I'm getting to the point where I'd rather shoot it with my camera instead of my rifle. I'm in no way opposed to hunting and still go when I can, but I don't have the desire to do everything with it that I used to.

All of those things are examples of how I've seen God bring my life to the place where it is, to where it's fully focused on Him.

I'm a pastor. I've been told I'm a great preacher by professors, friends, and colleges, I think I've still got a ways to go on it, but they have confirmed and affirmed the ability. I love to study and share the message of the Bible. My passion is to help the Church fall more in love with Jesus by seeing what God created life and the Church to be. I'm passionate about discipling people, especially men and boys, and helping them see who God created and called them to be. I love the fact that my job is to bring hope and comfort to people. I don't mean for this to sound insensitive but it might, but one of the best things I've experienced to date, has been sitting at the hospital with a wife whose husband of 60+ years might not make it through the night, and with a family who was preparing to say good bye to a husband, father, and grandfather as he entered into the presence of God. Being there, being God's representative to remind them of the hope and promise of life that is in Christ is one of the greatest things I've ever experienced.

Ability is there, desire is there, and God has blessed me with opportunity to do it for a living. That's how I know that this is God's will for my life. I'm not supposed to be a baseball player, elite commando, world class outdoors man or athlete. My calling is to be a minister of the Gospel.

Looking at the river analogy from yesterday, I think God leaves location open. I think He gives options as to where, but as long as I'm doing the task I've been given then I'm in the river. I might be closer to one bank than the other, but I'm still soaking wet, and that's the point.

Now I have to add this clarification. Once when I shared this someone in the group said, "Yeah but that doesn't work because I have the ability, desire and opportunity for sin." It is true, we have the ability to sin. We never lose that until we die and enter eternity where sin is vanquished. Our world presents us with opportunity after opportunity to do what is opposite of God. But the thing is that a person striving to become like Christ has a stronger desire for God than for sin. Our desire is to please God, to do His will, and through the power of the Holy Spirit that desire can prevail. We are empowered to live above sin and be set free from the desire to sin.

Ability, Desire, Opportunity. What is God's will for your life?

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you