In today’s world, God’s will is the least of most people’s concerns. Everyone does what they want as they want without worrying about what God thinks. In reality, there are things we do without asking ourselves why or just because we have to do them and it is in the normal order of things.
However, as born again children of God, the Bible tells us how we are to operate:
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2.
When you accept Jesus as Lord and savior of your life, you move from one kingdom to another. You become a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, you had better know the rules and principles of the kingdom for you to understand how it operates and to take full advantage of life in the Kingdom. And for this, we must let God renew our ways of thinking, our mentality. This will happen through our relationship with him.
The more time we spend with God in prayer and in His word, the more we will be transformed. It is in those moments that he transmits to us his way of thinking on this or that other subject. Understanding God’s will can lead us to pray differently, change our attitude toward a situation, or review our priorities.
Let’s look at Matthew 6: 24-33 as an illustration. In verse 24 to 25, Jesus says that:
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Matthew 6:24-25
Here, Jesus is talking about the anxieties and worries of life, and he continues in the following verses, until verse 33, explaining that we should not worry about anything in the world, that God who takes care of the birds knows our needs and will certainly provide for them.
Who believes like me that the worry that Jesus speaks to us about here is part of the fallen human nature? We worry because we have no control and we forget that God is in control.
Now, is it possible to live without worry ? Yes!! That’s the life we should be living if we are children of God. Worry is not part and has no place in the Kingdom of God. You can find many other behaviors/habits/practices that would sound normal but are not the norm in the Kingdom of God. In the sermon on the mountain, in Matthew 5 from verse 13, Jesus names those behaviors/habits/practices and states what should be, instead: “You have heard that it was said …. but I tell you …”
It’s one thing to become a child of God, it’s a different thing to live a victorious life as a Christian. It takes only faith and confession to become a child of God (read Romans 10: 9-10) but it takes transformation to fully live the life Christ has for us. Actually, becoming a child of God is the beginning of a lifetime transformation journey. Many are content to be born again but are never transformed. But I tell you, salvation without transformation makes you live a victim’s life. Your life is made up of failures and defeats because circumstances dominate you. One result of transformation is that it gives you dominion over your circumstances. This is how you will know peace and joy when your circumstances are not pleasant or reassuring.
There are so many verses that exhort us to abide in God, to read and meditate on his word. It’s because it’s what will transform us and make us the people God wants us to be. It’s the only way to know the truth that will set us free (John 8:32). That’s why Satan makes sure to keep us busy so that we don’t spend enough time in the word. However, it’s a matter of priority. We all have 24 hours in a day and we get to make time for what we value in our lives. Tell yourself that it’s a matter of life or death, because it really is.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you that you gave us the word, where you reveal us everything we need to know for us to live a victorious life. Help us to love the word and your presence and prioritize it over everything else. In Jesus name, Amen.
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