Divine Guidance = A Pursuit of Holiness

Can I just say first of all that I could never be thankful enough for the mercy that God has had on me, and for the Grace that he has shown me so that I am able to share with you and others what he is doing in my life. Why I have been chosen to become a steward of his love and grace I will never understand, but I do know that I accept it without question.

With that being said, God has definitely revealed a lot to me in the past few months. I do believe that the most recurrent question on my mind in this time of my life has been, "where next?" As college students we are faced with many life altering questions such as "who am I going to marry?", "where am I going to live?", "which career path do I take?", and the most popular "what is my calling?". I am here to tell you that persistant wondering into the nature of God's will for our lives will only lead us into a state of confusion and may even possibly convince us that we can figure these things out on our own. Don't get me wrong, it is very important to make wise decisions about our future, but what is our source of guidance when we make these decisions? Are we seeking guidance and discernment from the Lord or are we taking things into our own hands because we are tired of waiting on the Lord to miraculously reveal to us "the calling" that he has for our life?

Trust me when I say that I ONLY share thoughts that I have learned through MY experiences. My most valuable source for this blog is my own sinful nature and the Lords restoration of that sin. I have spent countless hours asking the same questions that Iaddressed in the above paragraph, and the Lord has undoubtedly and gracefully led me into understanding of his character. God's will can seem complex and even imposssible to figure out, but I am here to tell you that God has revealed the essence of his will and purpose for our lives through his scripture:

"Finally then, Brothers, We ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus Christ, that as you recieved from us how you ought to live and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For THIS is the will of God, your sanctification ( or Holiness)..."
1 Thessalonians 4:1-3

As you can see, God's will lies within our pursuit of holiness. God's decree ( the command and plan of God for eternity) is lived out when we seek to live a life that is pleasing to him. So now that we know what God's will is, how do we seek God's guidance in fulfilling his will? John Piper puts it best when he says:

" God guides us by bringing our hearts and minds into harmony or sympathy with his own heart and mind so that when we study a situation, we discern ( you might even say intuit) what path would be BEST accord with the character and purposes of god that we know from scripture"
- John Piper in his sermon " The Goodness of God and the Guidance of Sinners"

That pretty much sums it up, and David tells us in Psalm 25 how to pray for this guidance when we are in situations that have left us questioning our decisions.

" Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I will wait all the day long." - Psalm 25:4-5

As Christians, it is our duty to be in a constant pursuit of God's character through study of his word and constant prayer. If we do not fear him enough to ask him for wisdom and discernment then we are ultimately looking to the wisdom of our flesh, which will lead us down a road of destruction. If this is an issue in your life, then I encourage you to read the rest of psalm 25 and to check out John Pipers sermon on Desiringgod.org for a better understanding of this, and I also encourage you to trust that the Lord will guide you and that the results will bless you beyond measure!!