Finding God's Will

            Among Christians there is a lot of talk about God’s will. Parents wonder what God wants them to do in certain situations with their children; young adults question what God is calling them to do in their vocational lives; those in their retirement years wonder if God has a plan for them beyond just playing golf and sitting home. “What does God want to do in my life?” is an important question for all people.

            Interestingly, God’s will is not some hidden mystery that we must learn to decipher for our lives. God plainly states his will for us in many places in Scripture. Peter shares this jewel with us: “For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.” (1 Peter 2:15) It is God’s will that we do good!

            When I think about silencing the ignorant talk of foolish men, I must admit that my first option is not to simply go around doing good. Rather I think I must return fire for fire and set them straight, which upon reflection probably only increases the total amount of “ignorant talk of foolish men” in the world! If my full on verbal assault fails, then I am tempted to try to start some type of “boycott” of said foolish men until they learn the error of their ways and come around to my way of thinking. This rarely works either. In the end I try to act like the ignorant talk of foolish men does not bother me, and I seek to avoid said men as much as possible. One thing I have noticed is that none of these approaches actually succeed in silencing their ignorant talk.

            The one thing that rarely gets tried in our world, despite the large number of people who claim to follow Jesus, is the commitment to simply go around doing good all the while those foolish men are spewing their ignorant talk. Rather than confronting them, arguing with them, boycotting them or any other method of “dealing” with them, Jesus just wants me to do good to them and everyone else. It was also Peter who summed up the life of Jesus with these wonderful words: Jesus “went around doing good!” (Acts 10:38) When all who claim to follow Jesus will simply “go around doing good” then the world will notice and the mouths of those who disparage Christians will be shut. Not by the violent power of might, but by the overwhelming power of love!

           Do you want to know God’s will for you right now? It is God’s will that you practice goodness! All the time! Everywhere! Until it truly is all good!

                        - Kenny Payne