FIND DIRECTION WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH MY LIFE,GET DIRECTION G

FOLLOW THE WHITE LINE

By Frank Henrich written on January 7, 1982 - Reread and unchanged, when read by author 29 years later on October 28, 2011

In your work your company transfers a man in from Detroit and he is your boss. He calls you into his office and tells you the direction in which he is going to run the branch of the company for the next 3 months and then projects it on for the balance of the year. You really do not know him well enough to fully understand the wisdom that he used to develop these points of direction. But he has the foresight to see that you do need direction and has provided it. As the year progresses you will gather an increased understanding of his ways and also the wisdom he uses to rule his decisions. You soon learn that although he will listen to you, the decision will be made according to his understanding applied to his wisdom rules. Many times you would wish that he would let the decision be applied to the wisdom rules in your mind but such is not the case. You may work with the same man for 5 years but you will never fully know him. Your knowledge of him will always be incomplete. Even his wife, who lives with him intimately, will never fully know him. But you will be able to work around him comfortably for you will have grasped enough knowledge of his understanding and wisdom ways that you can feel comfortable in his presence.

IS IT DIFFERENT WITH GOD?

So it is with God. There is a difference between knowledge of God and knowledge of His will. We can never have a complete knowledge of God. If we can’t have a complete knowledge of our boss who is another human being like us, how could we ever expect to have a full knowledge of God? Therefore having a full complete knowledge of God is impossible for us. How about God’s will? God has a will for the world and its happenings and a will for each one of us. I do not believe God is going to reveal His will for someone else to us unless He’s giving us a word of exhortation or prophecy for a person. But I do believe that God will reveal His will for us, to us. Just like the boss was very explicit when he gave directions to me for the first 3 months and the balance of the year, God realizes that we need direction and accommodates us if we but seek His will.

I HAVE BEEN DUPED!

Here lies the crux of the problem. We have been told by improving our knowledge of our God, we will know His will. It would be like saying, “If I have a good knowledge of my boss, I will know the direction that he wants me to take.” That’s like going into the barn by walking around it two or three times and hope you find the right door. Why not ask for directions as to where the correct door is and go there – for a general knowledge of someone never gives us specific directions. That specific direction has to come to us from that person. The fallacy of today’s theologian and the fallacy of much Christian teaching is that we can know God’s will by knowing God better. Please don’t misunderstand me, I want to know as much about God as God will reveal to me. I encourage you to know a lot about God – as much as He will reveal to you. But I definitely declare as false, that the obtaining of general knowledge of God and all the different aspects of Him – will give you the direction – which He wants you to go in your life. Paul made this very clear in Colossians Chapter 1, Verse 9 through 12:

"And so, from the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”

WHAT PAUL TELLS US TO DO

We can see here that Paul said that we would obtain the will of God for our lives through spiritual understanding and wisdom. I looked up the Greek words and the word spiritual applies to both understanding and to wisdom. There is an interesting sequence in these verses that we need to look at.

First step is to pray for spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Second step – Why: so that you can obtain the will of God in your lives – the will of God for your group.

Third step – Results: in our living a life according to God’s will are: 1. A life pleasing to God. 2. Fruitful in service. 3. Increasing in the knowledge of God.

Note that number 3 “Increasing in the knowledge of God” is a result of the life of a Christian who has obtained spiritual wisdom and knowledge of God’s will in his life. If we seek God’s will through general knowledge, according to Paul as quoted above, we’re putting the cart in front of the horse. First, comes prayer for spiritual understanding and wisdom in our lives, that we may do God’s will. If you have worked for a boss who didn’t give you direction and you’re trying to do your work – you’ll know exactly how difficult that kind of an approach is to live and work. God realizes this and He’s given us in the Bible this explanation of why intellectual Christianity can never succeed in providing you with the will of God in your life. You have to get down on your knees and say, “God, I don’t understand – it’s spiritual – it’s above me – it’s above my reasoning – it’s above my understanding. Please help me!” I response to these intercessory prayers God reveals His will, through thoughts and desires in our mind, an ability to focus on a correct direction for our lives.

YOU MEAN NOT MY WAY, LORD?

Remember, it’s God’s will for our lives, not our wills for our lives, nor is it a will derived from a general knowledge of God, that will satisfy God and give us that inner peace of communion and that joy, that is lacking so much in the Christian walk today. I am not anti-intellectual. We need to study the Bible – we need to study learned men’s works – but we must remember that knowledge for knowledge’s sake is not good. It will draw us away from God’s will in our lives – substituting books and educational degrees for prayerful submission to the work of the Holy Spirit in us.

CAN I TRUST?

Oh!, I pray brothers and sisters that you will look at your lives. Examine them! Are you seeking knowledge for knowledge’s sake? Are you trying to derive God’s will through books that refuse to trust feelings? I would ask you then what peace of mind is? Is peace of mind not a feeling? Is it not a feeling of assurance? Are you telling me then that the peace of the Lord is something that you would not trust? I’m not asking you to jump up and down or roll in the streets. I’m only telling you that God is real. God is alive. God reveals Himself spiritually to you when you bend your mind away from the puffed up pride of intellect – and realize that it’s not knowledge for knowledge’s sake that is of value – it’s only doing God’s will while we’re here on earth. I thank God that He gave us Paul and the letter to the Colossians for it very clearly tells us how we must seek – how we must pray – how prayer is the first step to understanding God’s will in your life. No one will need to tell you what God wants you to do. He’ll fill you with such a beautiful desire to do exactly just that – and to joyfully praise others who have been chosen for other roles for Him in the church and in the community.

YOU’RE RIGHT – IT WORKS – BUT I CAN’T HOLD IT

You might say to me, “You’re right Frank, I have already experienced that I have to pray for spiritual understanding to know God’s will in my life. Yes, God did respond with this marvelous knowing within me just exactly what He wanted me to do. He flooded me with peace and gave me a sense of meaning. A new dignity – I felt in a right relationship with Him in all aspects. But Frank, I had a problem, I didn’t realize that I had to trust Him so much. Although I had all these wonderful things, my vision ahead was dim. It was like walking forward in a dark night with a very dim flashlight. Frank, I got scared – I lost my trust in Him out of fear. Must doing God’s will require such a heavy trust on my part? I like to know and plan extensively my life but I can’t seem to with Him.”

My friend in Christ I understand what you’re saying. Our walk with the Lord down Sanctification Road often leads us on paths where we are doing His will, then moving back into self will and then back to doing His will. The closer we move to the Lord, the greater the trust and the longer the periods of walking in His will. We soon learn to know that when we walk in His will we are filled with His peace and joy. You use the terms, “I like to plan my life.” Do you mean you want to plan your life according to your desires? If so I can certainly understand why you’re having trouble doing God’s will. For your plans may not be God’s plans. During times of stress – fear starts to mount in me – then I remember the raft. In my raft, I’m paddling into the fog, trusting that Jesus is at the rudder. I would encourage you to again move into His will for you. Ask for an increase in faith. For is not trust the action of faith? I have faith, therefore I trust.

IT’S NO SECRET, CHRISTIANS KNEW ABOUT IT 500 YEARS AGO

In the great Christian classic, The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis – the first words are from the Gospel of John, Chapter 8, Verse 12 – Jesus spoke, “He who follows me, will not walk in darkness.” Could you be asking yourself – “Did God lead me to read this exhortation because He knows that I want to follow Him – but I’m having trouble – seeing – too much darkness? Could it be that this Biblical teaching on how to seek His will correctly – is an answer to Jesus’ wonderful promise – to show me the way? A way via His manual for Christians called the Bible – to eliminate the darkness of knowing His wonderful will for my life?” All I can say to you, my brother and sister in Christ – Jesus never lied. When He says you will not walk in darkness if you follow Me – you will not walk in darkness except by your own choice.

HEY BUDDY SHOVE OFF

Some of you might say, “What do you mean by my own choice?” I respond, “Yes, I mean be your own choice – for now you can no longer plead ignorance.” Some of you might say, “Thanks a lot for nothing. I was happy – I think – in my darkness. I don’t like to pray and submit. But now that I know – I can no longer use general knowledge of God – to determine God’s will in my life. If I continue to use it – it becomes a device by design – to bend true knowing of God’s will – from me.” I respond, “If you feel frank, your author, is laying a trip on you, don’t confuse me with the Holy Spirit.

IS THERE HOPE FOR ME?

Jesus wants you to see the white line of His direction of your life. Won’t you now drop the hindrances you have placed there in ignorance or by design? God forgives us our ignorance but disapproves of us for hindrance devices by design. Such devices by design drive us away from God and cause us to lose His power in us to reach and save others – they cause us to go backward.

MY PRAYER FOR YOU

It is my prayer that from this article you will learn one thing, that general knowledge for knowledge’s sake is nice to know but doesn’t lead you anywhere and is a second rate knowledge to knowledge of God’s will for you in your life. Keep those two separate for they are very separate. If you don’t keep them separate they will lead you down a confused path – your walk for God will be not as effective as it can be. Follow the white line. White – for it has the Light of Jesus as contrasted to the darkness. Since life has a pace – a continuous flow to it – we see a line; keep your mind set to follow the white line of Jesus! -- set before you not by men – family – society – church group – yourself – but by God. Get down on your knees now and submit yourself. All praise and glory belongs to our God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Alleluia.

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