Have you ever wondered, perhaps in
frustration, “What is God’s will for my life?” “If I just knew what He wanted
me to do, I would do it.” Really? Are you (am I) sure? Are you (am I) ready for
the answer?
Read on only if you answered “Yes”
to these last questions. This journey is not for the faint-hearted, so hold
tight, take a deep breath – off we go!
I Thes 4: 3 begins: “For this is the
will of God…” Could it be stated any plainer?
OK, now for the answer (drum roll, please, and have pen and paper
handy), verse 3 continues: “your sanctification.” What?! Wait – that’s it, one
word is all I get to base life’s decisions on?!!!
So, if sanctification is the word,
maybe we ought to delve into it and see what God might want for us. Sanctify: “to set apart for a particular holy
or sacred use intended by its designer.” “A person then is sanctified when he
or she lives according to God’s design and purpose”* Verse 3 of I Thes adds to
the definition. “…that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality.”
Why is sexual sin the only one
mentioned here in reference to sanctification? Maybe it’s as Paul says in I Cor
6:18: “Avoid sexual looseness like the plague! Every other sin that a man [or
woman] commits is done outside his [her] own body, but this is an offense
against his [her] own body (J B Phillips).” So it hits at the core of who we
are as men and women, and, if we are able to live victoriously in this area of
our lives, we will have come closer to living a sanctified life – in the will
of God – in other areas.
As in today’s reading, God
specifically tells us in many other places in His Word what His will is for us.
Often it’s not so much a matter of knowing but doing what we know His will to
be. Then, to ask ourselves, in matters where He does not specify, “Is this
pleasing to God?” might just lead us to the answer, “What’s God’s will for my
life?”
Thank you, Lord that you show me in many ways your will for my life. Help
me to seek to do your will and lead a life that is pleasing to you. Amen.
*from Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology – online
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