Pastor A

In studying James chapter four, I find that there are at least seven ways to miss God’s will for your life. Here is an overview of the seven:

1. I miss God’s will when I follow my sensual desires. James 4:1, “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?“

2. I miss God’s will when I put me first. James 4:2, “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.“

3. I miss God’s will when I pray with the wrong motives. James 4:3, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.“

4. I miss God’s will when I fail to confess my known sin. James 4:8, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.“

5. I miss God’s will when I choose wrong friends for my life. James 4:4, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.“

6. I miss God’s will when I refuse to humble myself. James 4:10, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.“

7. I miss God’s will when I reject God’s grace for my life. James 4:13-17, “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.“

These seven sobering thoughts should cause us to pause and consider our own personal life as it stands before God.

Another “signpost” that is available to us, in the discovery of God’s will, is:

God has chosen to use people as instruments to direct us into His will. This may not be a pleasant thought to you, but it is true. And remember, the Father knows best.

God guides through the counsel of committed Christian friends who know us well. One of these friends is your pastor. If he believes the Bible as the literal Word of God, then through his preaching and teaching, God will give you direction. The Lord will use many other Christian friends to give you practical advice, so be sensitive to the people who cross your path.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel, purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” It is very wise to seek the counsel of other Christians in the matter of God’s will. They cannot know the will of God for your life, but they can provide much wisdom, insight, and objective thought.

But you must exercise great care in the choice of counsellors. Psalm 1:1 tells us three kinds of people to avoid, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” David says, “Don’t follow the advice of the ungodly, those who are unsaved, and those who have the wrong set of values in life.”

David teaches us that we should not company with sinners or those who are backslidden and living under the power of sin in their own lives. This will pull you down instead of helping you make good, wise decisions. Avoid the scorner; a critical person is not filled with the Spirit and so cannot be depended on for Spirit-filled advice. Be careful to seek out a Spirit-controlled Christian for help in determining God’s leadership. The Spirit will enable a godly person to cooperate with God in your life and to give you godly wisdom and guidance.

Consider James 3:14-17, “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.“