Mad at Rick Warren.
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Many people are on the search. They are detectives looking and looking for a clue. Some people have become more aggressive and are more or less on the a hunt. Looking for, searching for, digging for God’s will for their lives.
I remember when I bought the book Purpose Driven Life. I looked at the subtitle and thought, “I’m finally gonna find out if I’m in the right career field.” I was excited to get started to see if I had gotten this right. I felt like a fourth grader who had just discovered the answers in the back of the math book. As I began to read the book I was disappointed on the first day. Rick Warren starts off by saying that we were made to worship God. With child like faith, or lack thereof, I dismissed the point. “I know. I know. I’m created to worship, but what else? What about my field of work? What about my career choices? What about the important information?” I began to flip through the book to see if each day was gonna be like this. I began to wonder when I was gonna get to the “good stuff”. In a huff, I pulled my attention back to day one. I read it. I found myself disappointed with God’s truth.
No wonder I was unsure of my purpose. I was not content with God’s promises. I had conformed. What was important to me, was what was important to the world. I allowed my standards to be shaped by worldly expectations. Success was defined by the letters after my name, the dollars in my account, the status of my position, the ability to keep up with those who had made it, the symbol on my car, the admiration of others. I wanted more than what I had, and that lost aching feeling on the inside left me looking, digging, searching and Rick Warren just wasn’t giving up the goods!
Have you ever been in that place. You have what the world tells you to have. You are on the path to everything the world upholds as success, but you feel empty. Have you wondered if there was more to life? Wondered if you were made for more?
Romans 12:2 unlocked a serious answer for me. When we are transformed by the renewing of our minds, then we can test and approve God’s good, pleasing and perfect will for our lives. When we conform by letting the world shape our standards – WE WON’T EVEN BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE GOD’S WILL IF IT WAS STARING US IN THE FACE! No wonder I felt lost. No wonder I was disappointed with God’s answers. I hadn’t allowed the word to transform my heart by renewing my mind.
So where do we start to find God’s will? Some of you will be disappointed with me, like I was disappointed with Rick. (Even though he was right, and the book was actually awesome.) You find God’s will when you read God’s word and believe that He is speaking to you. You find God’s will when you stop fighting with God’s word and start embracing it as a road map for your living. You find God’s will when you realize that He never hid it from you in the first place.
Begin changing in response to the Word, then you will be able to see God’s will. Read, again, God’s word about revealing His will for your life. It has everything to do with what you can see. No looking, digging, searching. Just reading, meditating, responding to His Word.
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.
(I also highly recommend Purpose Driven Life and The Bible from cover to cover.)
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