Doing What Jesus Wants

Christians recognize that doing what Jesus wants us to do is very important because it is part of his Lordship over us. Here are some key ideas about this reality:

1. He has asked us to follow him. It is a simple matter of being obedient to the One who loves us and gave his life for us. There would certainly be no point in accepting his gift of salvation if we were not willing to act on it.

2. He has set a standard of behavior for us. Many people think this standard is negative and deals with rules about dancing, smoking or attending movies, but of course such legalism misses the point. Our behavior should be different because Christians have a unique worldview.

3. We believe that Our Lord has set a path before us which we should follow. We believe that actually following that path leads us to a greater joy than might be available if we went some other way.

Problems in following the Lord arise for these reasons:

1. Many Christians do not read their Bible or otherwise maintain a relationship with Jesus, so they are ignorant of what he wants for them in general. The general will of the Lord covers a wide range of situations which believers face.

2. Sincere Christians may know the general will of God, but sometimes do not know what path to take when faced with a particular decision, like what person to marry or what job to take.

3. Many Christians only say they want to follow the will of God. When they discover what it is, and find it's different from their own will, they suddenly become unsure about what they should do.

The reality is that the will of God is not something to fear, but something to anticipate. When we are confident we are following Jesus by doing his will, we have a new freedom in our lives. Whatever may come, we can be sure it's part of a greater plan, and this brings a real tranquility to our souls.

The will of God for your life is made up of two parts, his general will and his specific will. Let's look at both.