1) You exist (we all exist) to have a special, specific impact on your world. In your area of influence. There are things here on earth, within the Church etc. that God has given specifically for you to do. He created you for them and put you here for them.
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10
2) We need to begin to find out specifically what those things are. Until then, we may just be doing what we want to do, or spinning our wheels, while the task God has for us is still out there. I believe whole heatedly that my task right now is working with this Youth Group, and that God prepared it in advance for me to be doing. That is why we were voted in, that is why things are going well and things feel “right”, not because of me, or anything I did, but because God organized it and he has kids here that only we can reach, through his planning. I believe he, himself, already picked the Youth Leaders, knowing their skills, talents, hearts, and knowing what the kids needed and that he called and lead them all to the Youth Group. And I believe he determined that before each of us were born and were saved, as Eph 2:10 says, he prepared good works for us to do, in advance. And he knows the additional leaders that will come our way etc.
3) I believe a great way to find out what God wants us to do is looking at two things.
a. God has given us each a unique bent, or a unique set of skills, gifts and abilities, desires, passions: some by birth, others by practice/experience, others by spiritual gifting (either way, they were all given by God). We need to discover those #1.
b. God is revealing specific, pressing needs in our world, that require our God given skills, gifts, abilities, concern etc. We need to look around our world (Church, Ministries, Lack of Ministries, Area of Influence) and find out those needs, and as they meet our skills and concerns, we have seen an area where I believe God is ASKING and clearly SHOWING us to get involved. There are other areas too that he COMMANDS us all to get involved in eg. Go and Make Disciples, Teaching them to obey all I have commanded you. (Matt 28)
I would suggest, prayerfully, making a list of your skills, abilities, desires, attributes, gifting from God. Ones you know you have, others people have told you have, ones you currently use all the time (fill out a spiritual gifts inventory, free online). Then make a list of things that you feel like aren’t getting done, the Church is overlooking, the Youth Team doesn’t have enough time or help for etc. etc. And then begin to prayerfully see where God may be leading you do get involved, create something new. Be sure to talk to all the people involved as well (the pastor, youth pastor, directors, helpers) before springing into action.
But beyond that. I think God wants to use you right where you are at. I would suggest a few things, or pointers to help you see some of those things.
1) It is all about 1 on 1 time. How much 1 on 1 time have you had with people (your friends, your kids, your neighbors, your co-workers)? Do you feel like God is asking you to spend more 1 on 1 time with people.
2) It is all about communication. Are there specific people that you communicate regularly to and specifically too. Not just Hi, and How are you? But diving deeper and seeing where they are really at. Have you ever brought God into the conversation, even if they are a believer. You would be shocked to see how little we all really talk about God and are helping each other grow in God. More often we just talk about the easy things (Tv shows, Movies, Events, Sports, Family).
3) It is all about living moment by moment, in step with the Spirit. We all want to know what God wants us to do tomorrow, or how he wants to use us in a newer greater way, I think about it daily. But more important than that, he wants our moments, our minutes, our seconds. That is truly fulfilling God’s will for us.
It is like Philip in Acts 8:24-40, he followed the Spirit, moment by moment…. He saw a needthat only his knowledge and abilities could meet, and it was with 1 on 1 personal communication and taking someone deeper and BAAM something great happened. All the things I mentioned are in that text! He is the MODEL for DOING GOD'S WILL.
So I would say ask yourself this, daily:
1) What am I doing TODAY, DAILY and can be doing, to allow God to “transform the way I think”? (What biblical knowledge am I getting to ensure my thinking is transformed to God’s thinking?) (Rom 12:1-2)
2) What am I doing TODAY and can be doing to fulfill the GREAT COMMISSION?
3) What am I doing TODAY and can be doing to live out the Great Commands (Love God, Love Others)?
4) What am I doing TODAY and can be doing to impact my sphere of influence for eternity?
5) What am I doing TODAY and can be doing to live a life that is a living sacrifice to God, the kind he will find holy, pleasing and acceptable? (Rom 12:1-2)
God's will is where his commands/instruction intersect your God givens skills/talents, your heart-aches and hearts-desires and where there is a clear need for it! Make a list of each, and where they overlap, is where God is clearly calling you to STEP IN!
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