Consistency

I had a chance to sit down and think last night…those times don’t come very often. I was thinking about the last couple months of my life. You ever heard the expression of life smacking you in the face? I don’t reference that as if I am upset about it, but when I really think about all that has occurred, life has hit me ridiculously hard!
Within the last couple of months, I have married the most amazing woman in the world (assuming responsibility for another life, like I could even take care of mine), began the process of splitting bills one way, began my final semester of my undergraduate career, became an Associate Student Minister (my first Full-Time Church job), and the list goes on and on. I am not complaining, in fact, I am extremely blessed and excited that God has brought all these things to be; however, thinking about all this began the wheels turning about transitions, steps, and different “chapters” of our life.
Many of my friends are getting ready to graduate and begin the next phase of their life. Whether that is Seminary, marriage, career hunting, Graduate work, or other, it is a new stage in life. My thoughts circle around the idea of faith and pursuing after the Lord’s Will.
Wayne Grudem states, “Therefore, we must exhibit much caution, especially in the midst of difficult situations, in saying with any degree of certainty what the Lord’s will is if it is not clear from Scripture.” I began thinking about how much we as Christians think about following the Lord’s will. When we graduate from High School, we strive to follow the Lord’s will through our college selection, we strive to follow the Lord’s will and marry whom He desire, and we strive to follow the Lord’s will by pursuing a career that He has for us. However, I have to be honest with you. There have been numerous times in my life that frankly I did not know 100% that the choice I made was God’s will for my life.
When I looked into Howard Payne, I was not absolutely sure that God’s will was for me to go there. When I asked Molly to be my wife, I was not absolutely, 100% sure that was God’s will for me (I am so glad I did!). I will say though that at the time of making both of those decisions, as best as I knew, that was what God had for me. Of course I had my doubts, fears, anxieties, and worries, but I cannot say that at the moment that I made those choice for sure it was God’s will. So do I lack faith? Do I lack trust in God? Is my spiritual walk a failure because I cannot claim God’s will for my life in every situation or major fork in the road? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
I suggest that claiming in a decision that you know for a fact this is God’s will takes less faith than stepping out with the understanding that, “as best as I know, this is God’s will.” For when we do the latter, we must dearly cling to verses like Heb 13:5 and Psalm 139:7-10. Not that I negate the faith required of the former. I will forever look to Indiana Jones for the greatest illustration of this. Had he known absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Bridge was there (referring to the step of faith) the whole dramatic scene where he takes the leap would have been a little anti-climactic and less trust and faith would have been necessary than having to trust the book he was reading and act accordingly.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe God, as the living and active Redeemer in this world, reveals Himself to people and expounds His will to them and much faith is required to act that out. However, I suppose that following the Lord’s will is less about earnestly seeking supernatural, interventional guidance on individual decisions and more about living a life of consistent faithfulness to seek after the Lord. When we as Christians live our lives, we are to daily seek after the Lord, and when we live in such a close relationship with Him, the next steps in life are more clear than if we have not. This does not surmise that those decisions will be easy and will not require trust, but I believe there is much to be said about living a life of consistent faithfulness (not perfection), coming to a decision to be made, sensing as best as you know what the Lord would have you do, to step out in faith, and act! Is that not why Paul urges in Romans 12:2 for us to be transformed in our minds? Does this not come by following hard after the Lord, and is the result not understanding of His will? This is the thought process I went through in proposing to Molly. I had sensed the Lord leading me to do this, of course, I had my doubts, fears, anxieties, worries, etc, but a wise man asked me if my past year had been characterized by consistent faithfulness. If that were the case, would Christ be leading me while being close to Him to do something contrary to His desire?
In sum, after rambling in an attempt to explain myself, I propose that the answer to following God’s will is not begging God for a divine answer (asking for miraculous signs), but living a life of consistent faithfulness so that when those major decisions come you are so close to the coat tails of our Father that “as best as you can tell” you step out in faith, trust God, and act! May you follow and pursue hard after the Lord as you follow Him in the next stages and road marks of your life!