What do you want? (Part 2)

A couple of weeks ago, Cory wrote about the Biblical way to get what you want. Continuing on that theme he wrote this article about Determining God’s will.

Determining God’s Will

When it comes to going after big financial goals, or anything in life, how do you know if God wants what you want? One of my pastors, Virgil Nelson, taught me this very simple test.

The James 3:17 Test

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.

1. Is it pure? As you weigh your desires, ask yourself if your motives are pure in wanting it. James says later that if we ask and don’t receive, it is because we ask “with wrong motives.” (James 4:3 NASB)

2. Is it peaceable? My friend and mentor gave me this advice: follow the peace in your spirit. This does not mean that one should take the easy road. In fact, the easy road can produce considerable turmoil in your spirit. Check your heart and pray until you sense God’s peace concerning the thing you want.

3. Is it gentle? Can you do and get what you want without shoving people out of the way? Or will going after the thing you want bring out your worst side? If so, it cannot be God’s will.

4. Is it reasonable? God gave us our minds for a purpose. Although God may ask us to do the unlikely, He still expects us to use our brains. When you think about the thing you want, is it within the bounds of common sense?

5. Is it full of mercy and good fruits? Try to predict the results of getting the thing you want. Will it bear good fruit, or bad? Will it be helpful to others, or hurtful?

6. Is it unwavering? Do you want this thing badly one minute and not at all the next? God wants to grant you what you want, but you can’t say you want something badly if you keep changing your mind about it.

7. Is it without hypocrisy? If you go after what you want, will you have to go against one of your beliefs? Will what you want cause you to defy scripture? If so, your will conflicts with God’s.

Ask For What You Want with Confidence

When the thing you want passes this test, ask God for it. It says in 1 John 5:14-15 (NASB), This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

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