Knowing the Will of God

He stood for a moment before he spoke, silently looking into the eyes of his audience. "I can tell you God's will for your life." His audience was stunned by the audacity of his words yet each one of them leaned forward with anticipation. The preacher was speaking to college, graduate and doctrinal students and although they doubted the validity of his words they each craved to hear what he had to say.

"God has plainly stated in His word what His will for you is, 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" My son was in the audience that day. We have talked about the simplicity of the preacher's message and yet how it has profoundly impacted his life. I listened to Andrew and then shared with him a similar experience that I had had.

I was in my early twenty's my husband had finished seminary and both he and I were excited about the next chapter of our lives. There were so many possibilities open to us but which one was the right one? I had bought a thick book that I was hoping Steve would read that told how to discern the will of God.

At one point we were being interviewed by an older man who suddenly looked at me and said, "You do know, don't you, that God is far more concerned about what he is doing in you than with you?" I was highly insulted. I figured he just didn't know all I had to offer. I think my focus was wrong.

Why would the idea of being holy be considered simplistic? Why would I be insulted at the thought that God was more concerned with what He was doing in me than with me? I think the answer is found in the same book that says, "Be holy, because I am holy"(1 Peter 1:16) "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."(1 Peter 2:9) To understand holiness is to understand what it means to be called out of darkness into God's marvelous light. God's will is an internal transformation so that we can be His representatives in a dark world. It is God's will that we be sanctified so that we might be His sanctuary.