Knowing that we have a calling from God is one thing, but living it out is another. Esther reached a point in her life when fulfilling God’s plan became risky. The Lord had placed her in a position of influence, but using that power could cost the young woman her life.
Few are called to be rulers, but we have all been given places of influence to one degree or another. The Lord has placed you in your family, community, and church to fulfill His purposes for your life in this generation. As long as you are breathing, He is still working out His will for you.
How will you respond to His calling? There are only two options: Cooperate by submitting to His plan, or resist Him. Trying to avoid or ignore the opportunities He presents is a form of resistance. Maybe the cost of obedience seems too high, but what about the cost of disobedience?
Eventually, every Christian is going to encounter a situation that tests his or her willingness to obey God. When that time comes, remember the lesson from Esther. If you refuse, the Lord will use someone else, and you will lose the opportunity to fulfill His calling. Maybe you have been placed in a difficult situation “for such a time as this”—to be an influence for Christ in our dark world. (See Est. 4:14.)
Living in God’s calling isn’t always easy, but it is always worth the risk. Each step will reveal the faithfulness of our Lord, encouraging us to trust Him in the next opportunity He provides. As our faith grows, His perfect timing will become evident, and we’ll look with joy and expectation for what awaits us.
The Bible tells us that God’s will is good, acceptable, and perfect in every way (Rom. 12:2). To live life at its spiritual best, we need to discover His plans and desires for us, and then we must walk in them every day. And yet certain hindrances can prevent our discerning His intentions for us.
Self-will. We are our own biggest obstacle. We’re born into this world with a fallen nature that likes to have its own way and be its own master. To follow God’s plan, we need to surrender our rights to Him and embrace His ways. We must choose every day to let Him rule over our thought life, emotions, families, work, and decisions. Surrendering to God means victory; clinging to our own ideas brings defeat. (See 1 Cor. 15:57.)
Ignorance of God’s principles. We are easily tripped up when we do not know what is important to the Lord and what we should avoid. Our minds can be changed from worldly to godly only with a steady application of Scripture. Without the light of biblical guidance, we will wander away from God’s plan (Ps. 119:105).
Influence of others. People have lots of opinions about what we ought to do and how God would want us to behave. Unless we are extremely careful, we will act to satisfy them. In fact, we might find ourselves out of God’s will because we put others ahead of the Lord.
If we abandon ourselves to God’s care, then “self” will be subdued, a hunger for His Word will grow, and we will live to please Him, not others. Have you given the “throne of your life” to Him?
Discovering God’s will is an ongoing adventure with rewards along the way. His Word is our map for the journey, and the Holy Spirit is our guide, who provides “road signs” as we travel.
Circumstances. God may use situations—even negative ones—to communicate with us (Phil. 1:12). To discern the meaning of a situation, we must relate biblical principles to our circumstances. God never contradicts His Word, and His will always upholds it.
Counsel. God may direct us through counsel from other believers (Prov. 1:5). To assess what they are saying, ask yourself, Do they honor the Lord in their attitudes and choices? Are their decisions based on scriptural truth? Do they offer biblical principles to help me find God’s will, or just their own opinion?
Conscience. Once our “inner alarm system” has been programmed according to scriptural foundations, we can use it as a resource to determine God’s plan for our life (1 Tim. 1:19).
Common Sense. When decisions need to be made quickly, the Spirit helps us think through which choices will honor God (James 1:5-6).
Compulsion. Sometimes God gives us compelling desires to see certain things happen. If we see no contradiction with Scripture and our inner feelings remain strong over time, we should move ahead (Ps. 33:4 NIV; 1 Cor. 9:16).
Contentment. God gives peace when we accept His choices for us (Isa. 26:3).
With your instruction book in hand, are you watching for the “road signs” that God places in your path? The heavenly Father does not want you to miss His perfect will for your life.
Does anything prevent you from feeling confident that God loves you? Perhaps you are convinced some sin from your past blocks His love. In that case, think about Paul. He violently persecuted Christians before he himself finally turned to the Lord. If such a man knew God loved him, would that help you realize you, too, are loved?
Whatever your experiences are, Paul probably encountered something you can relate to. Yet he kept spreading his message of hope: God loves us and sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins.
Maybe you wonder how a God of love could allow you to be hurt or abused. Or possibly you feel alone and unlovable. Paul endured beatings and imprisonment for preaching the gospel, his friends abandoned him, and he was even shipwrecked. But if Paul was able to have faith that God loved him, won’t you believe that God loves you as well?
Whether your situation is unfair, painful, or humiliating, the fact that it happened doesn’t mean God has stopped loving you. Sometimes we face difficulty because He is polishing our rough edges and molding us into His image. Other times trials instigated by Satan are allowed in our life through the Lord’s permissive will. Either way, God is working everything out to our good, according to His individualized purpose for each believer (Rom. 8:28).
The key to accepting the truth of God’s unconditional love is to focus on Him, not circumstances. When you’re learning of Him, talking with Him, and sharing your life with Him, trust and faith naturally replace doubt and fear.
God is love. His nature requires that He care for His creation unconditionally. This means that no matter what people do, think, or say—even if they reject Him—the Lord will not stop loving them.
After reading that last sentence, there are many people who are going to think of a dozen reasons why they are an exception. So let me make this clear: God loves each and every one of us, and the only thing preventing us from experiencing that love is our own response. We will believe either our feelings or the truth of Scripture.
Paul points out that God is on the side of the believer. (See Rom. 8:31.) He gave up His Son Jesus Christ to death so that we could be purified and enter into a relationship with Him. Jesus’ sacrifice itself is proof of God’s love, but there are many additional expressions of His care for us. The Lord has a purpose and plan for every person’s life. Through His sovereign control, He works every situation—good and bad—to our benefit (Rom. 8:28). He is a loving Father who not only is interested in what happens to us but also is actively involved in our daily life.
Some people read and intellectually believe every word of the Bible but still feel unloved because they judge themselves unworthy. Their doubt acts like a dam, keeping the flow of God’s care from their hearts. The barrier will hold as long as the person believes he or she must deserve His love. But no sinner deserves pure love. God knows that and freely gives His love to us anyway. It is our choice whether to accept it.
