5 Practical TOOLS to Discern God's Will for Your Life
I have been asked MANY times how to understand Gods call/will over our lives.
- “Who should I marry?”
- “Which job offer should I take?”
- “Where should I plant a church?”
- “Which youth ministry should I pastor in?”
- "What should I do with _______________?"
- "What does God think about _____________?"
Over and over again I believe God reveals His will to us over time and in process. In other words, the process brings clarity on HOW God reveals His will to us.
Here are some tools that have helped bring me clarity about God's will:
Love God, love people, love yourself
You are in the center of Gods primary will when you love Him and love people. However, it is sometimes harder to know God’s secondary will: to love yourself enough to KNOW why, where, for what and how you were created. There are many ways to help you LOVE yourself. Try a SHAPE exercise OR go through #ANEWME (for a holistic approach).
What are your friends + family saying?
Your close friends and family are your community. They are meant to bring out the best IN you and they know the best ABOUT you. Asking them questions around God’s will and desires in your life will be important.
Tic Tac Toe
A mentor encouraged me to go through a tic tac toe process to discern God's will. He encouraged me to write down nine words when I “felt” at the very center of God’s will. He then explained to create/clarify a ministry opportunity that would be based on those nine things. The next point is an example of that.
Pros/cons
I would encourage you to write down ALL of the pros/cons on a particular life choice. Include family, close friends and your quite times with the LORD. Allow yourself to weigh out the list accordingly.
The TRUMP card
I am not talking about the 45th President of the United States here; I am talking about the fact that the Holy Spirit is the TRUMP card. I truly believe that God SPEAKS through His Spirit to us to bring clarity on life choices. The tools above are meant to HELP in the process but God sometimes speaks to TRUMP our choices.
Looking back, I am so glad that I used these tools and had the help of the Holy Spirit to direct and guide me over 15 years of ministry experience. I hope these tools will help guide you as you pray, discern and act accordingly to what the Spirit is saying to YOU.