Knowing God’s will is essential in order to live the Christian life. Here is a short letter which I wrote to a friend after making an extensive study of how to know God’s will.
Dear John:
I empathize with your struggle as you try to live bearing in mind God’s sovereignty and our human responsibility. Do you have the book entitled “Decision Making and the Will of God” by Garry Friesen? If not, I recommend that you get a copy as soon as possible.
1. We have the RESPONSIBILITY of praying for wisdom and then WE must make wise CHOICES. This is the proper way to balance God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. See the classic book “Evangelism and the sovereignty of God” by J.I. Packer.
2. We cannot live in the realm of God’s sovereignty, only in the realm of our human responsibility. If God is sovereign (and He is) then he is quite capable of overruling our choices, and he sometimes does. I can give numerous examples from Scripture (Paul being told to come over to Macedonia, etc.) and also from my own personal experience.
3. When we make CHOICES we actually “image God” since part of his image is having a “will”. God did not make us to be mere robots who take orders and carry out instructions. It pleases and glorifies God when we are using all our faculties of creativity, thought, and even making choices. This is the wonder and the privilege of being human and being “image-bearers” of God.
4. We cannot manipulate God to either give us a sign or some other supernatural manifestation. If God is sovereign then He does what He pleases when He pleases and obviously in MOST cases He does not give signs. Gideon’s fleece was the exception not the rule.
5. God does not usually have an exact plan for our lives in the non-moral areas of our life. He does have a will for us in the moral areas: such as not stealing, murdering etc. But in the non-moral areas such as matters of career choice, which country we live in, how many children we should have, or even which Christian should we marry …. these are all non-moral choices which he expects us to pray for wisdom and then make a DECISION! This is why the book is entitled “Decision Making and the Will of God”. Most Christians do not understand this, and some Christians even end up lacking common-sense and actually doing foolish things because they are following what they believe to be “signs”, or they or waiting for signs, and they are blown hither and thither by their “feelings”and by circumstances such as “open doors” or “closed doors”.
6. The two things we should trust the least when making decisions are “feelings” and “circumstances”. There are so many Biblical, historical and life examples of times when the right and/or wise thing to do is completely contrary to either our feelings and/or the circumstances. There was an “open door” for Jonah to take the boat in the wrong direction instead of going to Nineveh, where he was supposed to go. Feelings and circumstances should be only one of many considerations being taken into account in arriving at a wise decision.
7. The Christian should make choices in the same way as the non-Christian does (except in cases such as 8 below) which is to weigh the pros and cons and make wise decisions.
8. The only difference is that the Christian is limited to choices within the boundaries of morality and we also have the advantage of praying for wisdom as Solomon did, and as we are commanded to do in the book of James (Chapter 1: 5-6).
9. It is only in exceptional cases, where God does have a specific non-moral will for us. In such exceptional cases He will over-rule our common-sense decisions. Such was the case in Paul being called over to Macedonia and in the case of my own “calling” to the ministry.
10. But in all these exceptional cases it is God who should take the initiative in making his will known. We do not have to waste time looking or seeking his will as if it were lost! Instead we should get on with out lives using our “sanctified common-sense” knowing that if He has a different plan it is up to him to let us know!
11. When in doubt stay as closely as possible with the status quo! This is probably the greatest principle of wisdom passed on to me, early in my Christian life. Prior to living by this principle my early Christian life was characterized by constantly changing directions. If we are a bachelor we should stay a bachelor if we are in doubt, the same is true of being a lawyer or a butcher.
1 Cor 7:20-24 (NIV)
20 Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him.
21 Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you– although if you can gain your freedom, do so.
22 For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave.
23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
24 Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.
I have only had three careers in my lifetime: lawyer, pastor, and now missionary-evangelist. Moreover I have not even changed organizations, but have worked through the difficult times. Looking back I know that I made the right decision in being conservative when it comes to change. Yes I have made a few very big changes … e.g.. from lawyer to ministry … but in those cases there was no doubt that God had shown His hand! Thank goodness that I have even had the same wife for the last 38 years!
In His love,
Dave
DAVE SEIVRIGHT
January 24, 2003
DAVE SEIVRIGHT is a former lawyer from Jamaica. He is a graduate of the University of Liverpool, UK, and Westminster Theological Seminary, USA. He also did graduate studies at L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland, and Trinity College in England. He has been married to PAULINE for 58 years. They have 4 children and 11 grandchildren.
Dave had the privilege of being personally mentored by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer, and also by Dr. J. I. Packer. Dave was also mentored by the teachings and writings, and by personal interaction with the late Dr. John Stott. Dave attempts to pass on to others the things he learned from these great men of God. Combining his studies of interpretation and evidence as a lawyer with his studies of philosophy, apologetics, and theology, Dave has taken a special interest in the subject of “Worldviews” and the influence of Christianity on the culture of Western civilization. Dave has devoted his time to teaching the Christian worldview worldwide, and mentoring and discipling very intelligent young professionals, particularly in Miami, and in Germany.
