Seeking God's Will I - Spiritual Growth for New Believers

Scripture Readings:

• John 7:17: "Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own."

• Matthew 10:29-31: "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows."

• Romans 8:14: "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God."

• Psalm 119:105: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

• Matthew 18:15-20: "If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."

• 1 John 2:27: "But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you; but as his anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, just as it has taught you, abide in him."

To Do God's Will

Before we were saved, all our actions were based on our own desires. At that time, we served ourselves and sought our own pleasure. We did what pleased us. But now that we are believers in Christ, we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and acknowledged Him as our Lord. We recognize that we have been bought by Him, and we belong to Him, serving Him. Therefore, after our salvation, there must be a fundamental change: our actions must no longer be based on our own desires, but we must follow God's will. After we believe, the center of our life shifts from ourselves to our Lord. When we are saved, the first question we should ask is: "Lord, what should I do?" Paul asked this question (Acts 22:10), and we should ask the same. In every situation, we should say to the Lord, "Not my will, but Yours be done." When we plan our future or choose our path, we should always say, "Not my will, but Yours be done."

The life we receive requires us to live according to God's will. The more we obey God's will, the more joy we experience. The more we follow our own will, the more crooked our path becomes before God. If we continue to live according to our own desires, not only will it not bring us joy, but it will bring us suffering. After we are saved, the more we follow our own desires, the more miserable we become, and the less joy we have. But the more we live according to the new life and obey God's will, the more peace and joy we experience. This is a marvelous transformation. Do not think that following your own desires will bring you happiness. If after salvation, you stop following your own desires and begin to submit to God's will, you will find that this path leads to peace and joy. The joy of a Christian is found in obeying God's will, not in following one's own desires.

Once we become Christians, we must learn to accept God's will and let it govern everything. If a person is humble and submits to God's will, they will avoid many unnecessary detours. Many people fail and stagnate in their spiritual growth because they follow their own desires. The result of living according to one's own will is pain and poverty, and in the end, they will still have to follow God's will. Because God will use circumstances, different environments, and situations to bring us to submission. Unless you are not chosen by God, He will let you go your way; but if you are chosen, He will lead you according to His methods to walk the path of obedience. Therefore, disobedience only leads to unnecessary detours, and in the end, you will still need to obey.