You Follow Me
Anyone ever ask you, “How do I know God’s will for me?” Do you have a good answer? You know, one of the things I love about the Bible is its simplicity. Jesus chose twelve “uneducated” men to evangelize the world. Why do you suppose that was? Simple answer: “…Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (I Cor. 1:20); “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men…” (I Cor. 1:25). Look around. I’m sure you could name well-educated people who lack common sense, whose ideas of truth are 180 degrees out of sync with reality. The twelve He chose didn’t have to be un-taught to learn truth.
Besides being simple, the Bible is crystal clear on many subjects. When Jesus had something to say, He said it so anybody open to the truth could grasp it. For example, when Jesus was talking about heaven and Thomas asked him the way, his answer was, wait for it…simple: “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6). Can’t get much plainer than that. But why do so many miss that truth? It has to do with the prerequisite: going through the right “Gate.” This Gate requires humility, submission, emptiness of self. Not something many of us are willing to do—even though it’s free.
Walking with God
is an individual relationship. It’s been said that God doesn’t have any grandchildren. We can want salvation for others, share the gospel with them, pray for their souls, but the Holy Spirit has to awaken them to their need (of a Savior) and the ONLY solution: Jesus. It’s easy to get caught up in comparisons between ourselves and others. We look at jobs, housing, money, positions in church leadership, and other metrics. And we’re not the only ones.
Peter, one of Jesus’ inner circle, along with James and John, had just received a prophecy from Jesus about how he would die (John 21:18,19). Perhaps out of natural curiosity or something else, he asked about John, “…Lord, what about this man?” (v. 21). In modern vernacular, Jesus told Peter it was none of his business (v.22) and then the “simple” truth: “You follow me!” (v. 22).
How do we know God’s will?
It’s very simple. Read the Bible and notice God’s commands…then do them. Here are just a few: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30). “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things [food, drink, clothing] will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33). “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. “ (Phil. 2:3,4). “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is…” (Rom. 12:2).
There are many more commands, including a “list of ten” in Exodus 20. They start with “you shall and you shall not.” It’s not that we don’t know God’s will. It’s that we don’t do His will. Every one of us is educated beyond our obedience. If we just picked a handful of the Lord’s commands and faithfully did them, our lives, our churches, our communities would reflect God’s glory in His saints. We’d be irresistible to a lost and dying world. Something to think about when we scratch our heads and wonder what God’s will is for our life.