Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Decision Making By the Book, Part 2 of 20
TEXT: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2 NKJV).
IDEA: How can I know God's will for my life?
PURPOSE: Avoid modern forms of divination to discover God's will.
People have devised all kinds of approaches for seeking God's will. Some consult Ouija boards.
Some go to New Age "channelers" who claim to be the vehicles for the counsel of wise people long dead. Some flip a coin.
Some sophisticated church leaders use computer-generated probability studies.
Seeking to know God's will didn't start in the 20th century. As far back as we can go in recorded history, people have tried to get divine guidance for the living of life. Among followers of the ancient pagan religions, knowing the mind of the gods was a central concern.
Some studied livers, thinking the center of thought was the stomach, not the head.
Others consulted the stars.
Still others consulted oracles—priests or priestesses who supposedly had divine enablement to know the mind of the gods and predict the future.
Twentieth-century Christians sometimes seek God's will by practices close to the ancient divination rites:
Some sit in a chair, clearing the mind of every thought and asking God for direction. This person then thinks that the first thought to pop into his mind is divinely prompted. This lifts inner impressions to the level of divine revelation.
Some Christians play "biblical roulette," letting their fingers walk through the sacred pages. If a verse pops out while they're scanning, they believe that's what God is saying to them.
Others let the Bible flop open at a particular passage or verse and accept that as the voice of God.
Still others use "promise boxes" purchased at Bible book stores. Whatever "promise" comes out is God's will.
When we grow unhappy with the results of our promise boxes and displeased with the lack of a sure-fire biblical plan for knowing God's specific will, we often adopt pet theories to help us find God's great plan. Yet the Scriptures give us specific information about the will of God and we will explore these.
