Read: Psalms 143:10  |

In February of 2006, the Dallas Morning News ran a front-page story on Denise Eileen Day. Denise lived alone in a two-story house near White Rock Lake. Exasperated by repeated misfortune and overcome with grief, Denise began to live without a will!

By a will, I mean a will to live and persevere despite her disappointments and fears. Without a will, she lived in fear and isolation. Without a will, she was afraid to live. The news article noted:

“She was afraid to go to the grocery store or the movies, a friend said. She was afraid to go outside at night for fear of being bitten by mosquitoes. She was afraid to date because she didn’t think anyone would want her.”

“She wanted to experience life, but she was afraid of taking that leap, …,” [By Margarita Martin-Hidalgo and Michael Grabell / The Dallas Morning News]

Denise’s experiences eventually shattered her faith. Ignoring even her own sensibilities, her desire to exercise her will dwindled. She lost the will to follow through on what she knew she should do.

Spiritually, our will should match God’s will. We have to be careful that we do not allow our fears and challenges to overwhelm our will to follow His will. When we pray and seek Him with all of our heart, soul and mind, Christ the solid rock fortifies our will to live for Him.

Will-less living is Fruitless living

When Moses stood before the burning bush on Mount Horeb and spoke with God, he heard God’s call and plan for his life. However, Moses initially allowed his doubts, fears and human understanding to come to the surface when he openly questioned God’s rationale for choosing him. He could not perceive himself accomplishing the plan that had God just outlined. [Exodus 3]

Moses finally realized and accepted his calling. He was able to lead the nation of Israel by following God’s will. By yielding our will to His will, we receive the power that God has for us to succeed with His assignment.

To transform from “will-less living” to “living within His will”, strive to develop a desire to know His will for our lives. Psalms 143:10 reminds us to ask God to teach us His will. As we learn His will and exercise it daily, we can persevere in spite of life’s pitfalls caused by fear and doubt. As we grow, we begin to understand that God uses our circumstances to shape us to be more like Him.

Giving up like Denise leads to will-less living. Ignoring His will also leads to will-less living, which is fruitless living. Yielding the situation to God, we can overcome and experience the victory that God promises.
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When God throws something your way, catch it!

– Chriscinthia Blount

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Living within His will

As Jesus was passing through Samaria to get to Galilee, He met a Samarian woman at the well. As we may recall, He proclaimed to her the truth of God in such a way that she was inspired. She promptly left her water pots to go and tell others about Him. About this time, the disciples returned. They urged Him to eat. However, He told them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work” (John 4:34).

As his present day disciples, God calls us to do His will as well. When we determine to follow His will and not our own, then we will experience blessings (James 1:25). As we mature, we also learn that God blesses those who seek and follow Him.

In February of 2006, police officers discovered that Denise had passed away in her home more than a year before they discovered her death. Her life had become so disconnected and fruitless that her death went unnoticed.

As we walk with Christ day-to-day, desire to know His will. Listen for Him and then yield to His will in order to maximize our God-intended potential. Live in a way that makes a daily mark on the lives of others that cannot go unnoticed!

Questions:
1. Discover –
A. Write down one or two areas of your life that you have turned over to God that were previously not under God’s will, only yours.
B. Write down one or two areas of your life that are not yet ruled by God’s will. What lessons did you learn from the list in 1.A that could be applied to this list to help you grow and “Live within God’s will”?

2. Develop –
A. Having a desire for God’s will is the first step to doing His will. What triggers your desire to follow God’s will? What triggers you to lose the desire to do His will?
B. We can know God’s will and ignore it. How can we avoid knowing but ignoring His will? Identify and list three areas of your life where it is easy to ignore God’s will. What areas is it easy to follow His will?

3. Demonstrate –
A. Share an example of time that you accepted God’s will for your life even though you did not understand it at the time. How has that shaped your faith?
B. Ask your prayer partner or Mentee/Mentor if they are struggling with following God’s will in any area of their lives. Pray for their strength and desire.
C. Ask a prayer partner or Mentee/Mentor if your life generally reflects examples of a believer who “Lives within God’s will”.