Wow! Three weeks have gone by and I have not posted one thing on this blog. That’s hard to believe. As I have opportunity, I’m sharing with you some of the things that I am learning as I teach a class in God’s Pattern for Christian Manhood. The last post on this topic dealt with the idea that work is good. We are so used to the cultural tendency to think that free time is best and we do all we can to carve out as much as we can. But God’s ideal is that we keep busy with God-honoring, profitable work.
It used to be that rather than use the word “career” for a person’s job track, the word “vocation” was used. Vocation means “calling”. Work was thought of as a calling of God in a man’s life. Even if it wasn’t “full time Christian service”, it was still seen as a ministry of God’s hands in the world to accomplish good on the earth. But the question often arises as to how a man is to know God’s will. I would like to offer several components that need to be considered when determining God’s will.
First, it’s important to plan. So many men bounce around like the pinball in a pinball machine. They just react to each circumstance that comes up. Obviously there are many areas of life that are outside our control and therefore reacting is about all we can do, but there are also many areas where we can plan and the vocational decision is one of them. It is seldom God’s will to sit by and wait for something to happen.
Look at the following passages from the book of Proverbs: 16:3; 16:9; 20:18; and 21:5. All of these passages stress the importance of planning. God directs our steps when a man has planned his way.
It’s important to realize that God does not speak to us with a voice or emotional feelings. He speaks through His Word, through the working of His Spirit in our lives and through providence. We must plan according to the principles of Scripture and we must take hold of the opportunities that God providentially provides.
More on determining God’s will next time.
