Positioning Yourself to Receive all that God has for Your Life (Part 2)

Today we’re going to jump into the second step in positioning ourselves to receive all that God has for our lives.  If you missed the first step, take some time to read that before continuing on.

Positioning Yourself to Receive all that God has for Your Life (Part 1)

The second step to keep in mind when we talk about positioning ourselves is: Responding to the Will of God.

God has a perfect will for your life.  God actually took the time to write out your story.  Another version says:

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
    all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
    before I’d even lived one day.

Since God took the time to make and create a unique being like you, he cares about your future.  He wants to see you fulfill the potential he put inside of you. There is a special purpose for you to fulfill.  Most people live in one of the following: the permissible will of God, the pleasing will of God or the perfect will of God.  If you were to take a second and think about that in your own life right now…where would you place yourself in that scale?  By the end of this blog, it is my prayer that you would respond to the will of God within your own life.  How you respond to God, will determine the blessings that will begin to overflow or stop flowing within your life.

I like the way James says it: (James 4:13-17)

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”

He opens up with “listen.” James is trying to tell us to pay attention.  He’s saying “look…it’s ok to plan. You have to have some kind of plan for your life. But a true believer thinks ‘God this is what I have planned…but what do you think?'” Have you ever had someone (maybe a friend, co worker or relative) come up to you and tell you about all the great plans they have lined up for their life or summer? If you’re like me, then you probably just listen politely and say ‘ok.’ There’s not really much you can say to someone that already has plans to go away for a few weeks when they’ve already got the time off work, made arrangements for a baby-sitter, bought the plane tickets, booked a hotel and a rental car…all you can really say at that point is “have a great time.” The sad thing is that many people tend to do the same thing to God.  They come to God and say “here God…check out my plan! It’s a great plan, huh? Can you just bless it? I’ve put a lot of thought into it. I’ve considered all the options and yeah it’s a great plan.” Sad thing is they’re not considering, “what do you think God?”

Has there ever been a situation in your life where you’ve said, “what was I thinking?” That’s the problem…we weren’t thinking.  We have to keep God in the center of everything we do.  That’s how we should respond to his will.  We’re only going to know his will if we keep Him in control.  Now I understand how hard that can be for fellow control freaks out there.  I had my own struggles with that myself.  But let me ask you, can’t you trust God? If he can run the universe…don’t you think he could run your life?  If he is able to sustain every living thing with consistency…don’t you think he is able to sustain you?  If you trust Him enough to take you to a place you’ve never seen (heaven)…don’t you think you can trust Him to pick out your mate?  How long will it take for us to get it that God knows more?  There could be situations that God has allowed to get your attention…but it doesn’t always have to be that way when you learn how to respond to God’s will.  Don’t be like Jonah and run. Why take the long way? Why take the detour?  Why take the stubborn route? God knows best!

Today, if we are humble and honest enough, we’ll acknowledge God in all our plans. Only God can put us in the right places at the right times that will begin to allow His blessings to overflow in our lives. I pray that you would begin to take some time right now and let God speak to you about how He would want you to respond to the different things that are taking place in your life right now.