Discerning God’s Will

6 letters to a friend
By Troy Cady

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 Contents

Letter 1:
the difficulty of knowing anything
(page 3)

Letter 2:
ancient epistemology
(page 6)

Letter 3:
difficulties in ancient epistemology
(page 8)

Letter 4:
scripture and the church
(page 11)

Letter 5:
the Holy Spirit and spiritual battle
(page 14)

Letter 6:
circumstances, prayer and God’s openness
(page 18)

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 Letter 1: the difficulty of knowing anything

Dear C---,

I’m so sorry that it has taken me so long to interact with you over the last couple questions/issues
you’ve posed! Please forgive me! And thanks for your patience!

As you can see, I haven’t forgotten about your good questions and have been thinking about
them. And, I would like to take a “stab” at them now.

Hopefully, this will have been “worth the wait”! ;-)

Most recently, you wrote to me asking about discerning God's will.

I must confess: when I read your question, I immediately thought of a kind of “check-list” in my
mind that I have always used with others when I have taught about this. And I thought of taking
the “easy” route and just giving you that list. But, for some reason, this time I thought differently
about it. So, before diving in to the immediate issue at-hand (that of “knowing God’s will”), I’d
like to “take a step back” and ask the larger question concerned here.

What I mean to get at by this is a struggle that’s hinted at in the question you posed; specifically,
the struggle we all have of “knowing a thing for certain.” I find this interesting because this
serves to illustrate that the postmodern critique of modernity’s obsession with “certainty of
knowledge” (and claim that we can obtain certainty of knowledge) is valid--at least in partial
respects.

So, let’s explore this just a little bit now. Forgive me if it seems like we’re off on some “rabbit
trail”, but I think you’ll find that an exploration of the larger issue at-hand (that of the possibility
of knowing things for certain) is a valuable one. And, as I said, this is really a question of
postmodernity as it relates to modernity, so to address this issue we need to look at that a little
bit. Here goes:

Let it be remembered that, in modernity, humanity became consumed with a relentless quest for
knowledge (like never before). What was, perhaps, unique about this quest was that it was a
quest of individual autonomy (that is: “nobody is going to tell me what to believe. I’m going to
find out for myself.”) Add to this the fact that it was a quest for certainty regarding such
knowledge, and you have a unique mixture. And, even further, add to this the subject matter
regarding such a quest for certain knowledge and you have a time like no other. What I’m
hinting at here is the uniqueness of modernity’s scientific revolution (a prime example of “the
principle of autonomy”, a quest for certainty, and a wholly “fresh” subject matter). Follow the
path, and one could justifiably say that modernity’s quest for certain knowledge ends with the
creation of The Periodic Table of the Elements (constructed around the turn of the 20th century).

Philosophically speaking, by the time the world had gotten to this point, humans had already
moved beyond confidence in our ability to know intangible reality with certainty. In the late
1800’s, Friedrich Nietzsche expressed this in the terms of nihilism. But his philosophy was

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merely a deduction, let us not forget, from the philosophy of Kant in the 1700’s, who constructed
a dualistic world in his system. That is to say, Kant divided reality into two categories: the
invisible world and the tangible, empirical world. Then, Kant observed that our knowledge of the
intangible world was limited. That, of course, was correct, but what proved so devastating to our
theory of knowledge (our epistemology) was the observation that you can’t establish principles
concerning the nature of the invisible world solely through observation of the visible world. We
can, perhaps, glean insights concerning the invisible world through empirical means, but these
are only “glimpses” and the empirical methodology proves, in the end, insufficient. So, Kant,
being a Christian (and not wanting to throw out the possibility that there are objective, universal,
invisible truths), asserted that one needed to rely on “pure reason” to establish such truths. (And
he defined “pure reason” in part as “that which is untainted by dependence upon empirical
methodologies.”).

Though Kant was well-meaning, and sought to defend the idea of “absolute, universal, objective
truth”, there was at least one problem with his methodology: there is no such thing as “pure”
reason. It is always being clouded by something else.

I believe this is why science became so important. It was the only thing we could know for
certain. Maybe that’s because science is sometimes thought of as a quest towards a summary of
certainties concerning all that is tangible, quantifiable and “real”. If we can’t attain certainty of
knowledge about the intangible, we may as well spend our time on what we can know.

We can know, for example (so the “materialistic” worldview goes), that all matter is composed
of atoms. And we can know that atoms have sub-components that we call “sub-atomic particles”.
And we can know that these particles are varied, so we can give them names to express this
variance: protons, neutrons, and electrons. We can know that the mass of atoms varies according
to the number of each atom’s protons, neutrons and electrons.

Now, if we can just figure out how all this works together…

And, so we enter a key stage in our theory of knowledge: The establishment of The Uncertainty
Principle by a scientist named Heisenberg. Among other things, The Uncertainty Principle tells
us that, scientifically speaking, there will always be limits to our knowledge of a thing. One
reason for this is the fact that the act of observing something changes the object that is being
observed. So, now we can’t even really know the true nature of material reality (other than the
fact that all reality shifts when we put ourselves into the equation)! Scientifically speaking, our
apprehension of truth is relative.

Let that fact soak in: Scientists are now adrift on a sea of uncertainty. It took about three
centuries to construct their little “reality chart” that can be memorized by any 14-year-old in
about six months (three centuries to construct a graph that contains “things we know for
certain”), yet now it is generally acknowledged by the scientific community that all those
carefully measured numbers may be mere “guesses” at “what really lies beneath.”

If this is what is being said now about material reality, is it any wonder, then, that, regarding
questions of “knowing God’s will” (something so “intangible” and “spiritual” and

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“inaccessible”) one is left with a sense of “despair”? “It’s hopeless!” one may say. “I have the
sense that God has some desires and wishes concerning the trajectory my life should take, but
how on earth am I supposed to tap into God’s heart when folks in this world can’t even tap into
the secrets of a rock, a tree, a blade of grass, the wind or a cloud? God seems as inaccessible as
the sun!”

How, indeed, are we to know?

Let’s stop there for the day and ruminate on what we’ve established thus far. Then, tomorrow,
I’ll propose an ancient foundation for a new theory of knowledge, in light of the fact that
modernity’s foundation seems to be crumbling from underneath us.

Until then,
Troy

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 Letter 2: ancient epistemology

Dear C---,

Yesterday we made note of the crisis of knowledge we now experience as a result of living on
this side of the modern era.

Today, I’d like to suggest a foundational shift in constructing a Christian theory of knowledge.
Really, this “shift” to which I am referring involves, in essence, a “return” to an ancient
epistemology. It is nothing “new”, in actuality, and it consists of at least two parts. The first part
of this theory of knowledge is simply this: we can come to know some things for certain
because some things have been revealed. For example, we can know for certain that there is a
God, because God revealed himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ. There is no longer a
“covering up”, but rather a “revealing” when it comes to obtaining knowledge about spiritual,
intangible things. The Scriptures hint at this idea in several instances.

For starters, let’s trace the ministry of Jesus and see how he reveals God to us. Let’s do this
through citing various passages from the apostle John.

John 1: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the
glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John says, “We know because we’ve seen it ourselves. We know because God, the One and
Only, whose glorious nature used to be hidden from our eyes, has now revealed himself to us in
the person of Jesus Christ.”

This, however, does not preclude the idea that, though God has revealed himself to us in the
person of Jesus Christ, humans will still be unable to see this simple fact. This is where faith
comes in. And this is the second feature in our return to an ancient epistemology. Notice in John
1 also:

“The light shines in the darkness…” [God reveals himself to us]

“but the darkness has not understood it.” [but we fail to “see”]

And again:

“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not
recognize him.”

How is this possible? God reveals himself to us, yet we fail to see it.

Jesus explains later how this is possible in John 10. Here is the story:

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“Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area
walking in Solomon's Colonnade. The Jews gathered around him, saying, ‘How long will you
keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’

“Jesus answered, ‘I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name
speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice;
I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can
snatch them out of my hand.’”

Faith plays a part in our ability to apprehend truth. God can reveal himself to us “till he’s blue in
the face”, but, if we choose not to believe, we won’t “get it”.

In John’s first epistle, he revisits this idea that God’s part is to reveal, while our part is to believe.
Look at the pattern:

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,
which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word
of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal
life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.”

That’s the “revelation” part, contained in the very beginning of John’s letter. Now, let’s see how
John concludes his letter. It’s interesting to note that he concludes on a note of “belief”. Read:

“Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not
believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has
given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his
Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I
write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that
you have eternal life.”

Is it any wonder that one of the most famous verses in the whole Bible is John 3:16, a perfect
example of revelation and belief:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

God gives, God reveals; our job is to believe. Thus, a Christian theory of knowledge rests on a
sure foundation made up of a mixture of revelation and belief. God will reveal; we must believe.

That’s enough for today. Let’s return tomorrow to discuss a difficulty or two with this particular
theory of knowledge.

Until then,
Troy

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 Letter 3: difficulties in ancient epistemology

Dear C---,

We’ve noted the crisis of knowledge we experience today and we’ve noted a possible “way out”
of this crisis. Specifically, I’ve proposed a return to an ancient theory of knowledge: an
epistemology based on revelation and faith.

What I think is difficult about this, however, is the fact that it takes faith to base our lives on
this very premise (which is concerned with faith!). Ironic, isn’t it? But, fitting, all the same, I
think. There’s an internal consistency to it that only helps, in my mind, more firmly establish the
undeniable truth of this basic principle. So, yes, it takes faith to believe that our theory of
knowledge is based on a combination of revelation and belief. But, unless we believe, we’ll be
forever trapped. Just look at the state of philosophy today to see the alternative: Thousands of
people caught up in discussing whether or not the chair on which I’m sitting actually exists.
(Come on, people! Can’t you have at least that much faith? Yes, the chair I’m sitting on now
does exist!) And thus, we’re back at faith.

So I have no trouble whatsoever with the idea that the acceptance of an “ancient”
epistemological foundation appears to be a mere tautology (a kind of “going around in circles”
but not really having proved anything; that is, using the point to prove the point). I mean, after
all, what would you expect? If it is true that knowledge is based on revelation and belief, then
one would expect faith to play a part in acceptance of that premise, wouldn’t one? Indeed, one
would be suspicious if one could establish the foundation apart from faith, since that would
render the premise obsolete.

The question we may want to ask ourselves now is: “But why should this be the case?”

In my mind, this way of coming to know truth makes sense if the thing that God’s after is simply
relationship with us. I think this may in fact be the case because (notice) it has been revealed to
me and this truth has been confirmed in my heart through faith. I mean, I have been told by Jesus
through the Bible (revelation) that I was created to know God. This is my purpose. And, I believe
it. And, because of that, I know this to be true, first-hand.

So: God reveals and I respond with belief. It’s the language of relationship. Because God wants
a relationship with me, he has created a system whereby I cannot know truth apart from his
revelation and my trusting response.

Let’s look at this more closely now:

Point 1: I won’t be able to apprehend truth unless God reveals it to me. That’s because he’s
designed the universe in such a way that a relationship with him becomes necessary to our
existence in the same way that gravity keeps us on the planet. All truth is found in God, so to
find truth we need God to reveal himself to us.

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Point 2: But, if God moves to reveal himself to me, and I respond with unbelief, I cut myself off
from relating to God, in the same way that I cut myself off from my wife if I persist in
disbelieving her when she tells me she loves me. To really relate to her, then, a leap of faith is
required of me, a trusting that what she says is true, even though I cannot scientifically prove it
to be true. And, unless I move towards her in faith, I will never know it to be true. But, if I trust
her and choose to stand in close relation to her, I will then know in a deeply personal, intuitive
way that, yes, she does in fact love me. I will know it because I have experienced it for myself.
(Is not this form of knowledge valid? And does it not accord with a common human experience?)

At this point, let me draw out one qualifying concept: What I am not saying is that believing
something makes it true or that truth is dependant upon my belief. Notice in the example above:
It is true that my wife loves me, full stop. And, even if I disbelieve that, it would not change the
fact that my wife loves me (thank goodness for that!). But, what my belief does change is my
ability to see, to apprehend the truth. And, yes, faith is an essential part of that. And this is what
your question is getting at: our ability to know God’s will.

To that I would say, as a comfort to you: you’ll be able to know because God reveals his will to
his children. That fact will never change. God will continue to reveal his will (his heart) to you,
whether you choose to believe that or not. That’s why I would also then add, as a challenge to
you: you’ll only be able to know God’s will as you choose to believe, to take some leaps of faith,
to trust that you’re truly walking in his ways. In order to know God’s will, a combination of
revelation and faith is required.

But that’s the scary part, isn’t it? That’s precisely what you’re talking about. Let me see if I can
paraphrase what you’ve noted already: “But what if my faith is misguided? What if I go the
wrong way? What if the voice I’m hearing is the devil’s? or just some other person’s? or merely
my own?”

At this juncture I’ll say one simple thing that should serve to comfort you, but requires faith too.
Remember, Jesus said: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give
them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.’”

At this point, I have little else to say except to remind you: God has revealed the answer to you
through these words of Jesus. Choose to believe it. That is to say: You’ll know the Master’s
voice because you know the Master. You know the Master, because you trust the Master and you
believe the Master.

Having said that, keep in mind that the Master is kind. He does not want us wandering around in
the darkness. He is the light. So, he has chosen to reveal himself to us in myriad ways. That’s
because he knows we can be a tough group of sheep to get through to.

Notice, in the passage earlier in John, the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Tell us plainly!” and Jesus
responded by saying, “I have told you plainly! I have even performed miracles so you could
clearly see I’m from God!” In other words, “I’ve tried lots of ways to get through to you. And
I’ll keep trying until you believe.”

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Fortunately, God does keep trying all kinds of ways to reveal himself to us. That’ll be our
subject for tomorrow’s installment: the “all-kinds-of-ways” part. Specifically, we’ll look at some
examples of how God has chosen to reveal himself to us throughout history.

Until then,
Troy

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 Letter 4: Scripture and the church

Dear C---,

We’ve proposed an "ancient" epistemology as our foundation. Specifically, I’ve proposed that
the basis of knowing God’s heart for us is composed of equal parts revelation and faith.
Yesterday we noted the idea that this is the language of relationship and, more specifically, we
noted that it does take faith to accept this foundation. Today, we’re going to look at the first two
of a series of considerations regarding the “how” part of this question. Since our knowledge is
dependant on God’s revelation, we need to ask ourselves: “Okay, so how does God reveal
himself to us?”

This is to say: God will often use a variety of ways to “get through to us”. That’s because, like I
said yesterday, we can be fairly slow to learn sometimes. And, since God is infinitely patient
with us, he just keeps trying all sorts of means to help us see.

Let it also be noted that the following (concerning the question of “how” God reveals himself to
us) is not intended to be a “check-list” or a “step-by-step formula.” What follows may best be
received as mere observations, noted for a very practical purpose: it is my conviction that, if we
are familiar with even a handful of the ways we can discern God’s will, we will be more capable
of recognizing the hand of God at work in our lives. Consider these as “guideposts” that help
light the way for us.

Okay, let’s dig in now. The first “guidepost”:

For starters, God reveals himself to us through the Bible. The Psalmist reminds us: “Your word
is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” The Bible helps us know some things for certain:
we should not commit adultery, we should not steal, we should not lie.

(What’s interesting to me about this is the amount of energy Immanuel Kant spent on
establishing such “categorical imperatives”. Because he did not accept the a priori authority of
the Bible, he had to go to great lengths to prove that we could take such basics as “thou shalt not
lie” and “thou shalt not steal” as universally applicable moral foundations. This is because he did
not accept the epistemological foundation of revelation and faith. Because of that, he had to find
some other foundation. And today we have discovered: there is no foundation apart from
revelation and faith! So, take a lesson from history: start with the Bible when you’re asking what
God’s will is for humanity. And then, choose to believe that it is God’s revelation.)

We also find other “guiding” principles in the Bible, besides those very obvious commandments
mentioned above. What I’m speaking of here are things like: we should be kind and gentle. We
should not be lustful or greedy. We should forgive. We should care for the poor.

This is to say: we live in a culture where it may be regarded as a "no-brainer" to refrain from
things like murder, adultery, theft and perjury, but it still remains to be established whether or
not we should forgive (and even bless!) our enemies. It still remains to be established whether or
not it is okay to entertain lustful thoughts towards another person while remaining married to

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someone else: “I can go window shopping as long as I don’t buy” the expression goes. But,
should one entertain lust, even if one never acts upon it? Jesus tells us no. Jesus tells us to look at
the heart and deal with our sin on a heart level.

This is counter-cultural. If you were to conduct a survey about these issues, you would discover,
thankfully, a general consensus regarding murder and theft; but, ask those same people what to
do about lust and I’m convinced we would discover a wide degree of variance in the responses.
But the Bible is unequivocal on even this matter. We know we shouldn’t lust because God has
told us so in the words of Jesus. Now, will we trust God’s Word as revealed to us in the person
of Jesus (and written down by his closest followers)?

Yes, it takes a lot of faith to believe God reveals himself to us in the Bible, but this is essentially
what God is asking us to do because it is how he has chosen to reveal himself to us.

Now: because it is sometimes unclear how to interpret the Bible, God has given us another
means by which we can know his will. And this is the purpose on which the apostles in the New
Testament focused their energy: making plain God’s will, God’s heart.

In letter 2, I cited some verses in I John, where the apostle mentioned that God had revealed
himself to us in concrete terms: we have seen, our ears have heard, our hands have touched. Did
you catch the other phrase he used repeatedly? “And we proclaim”. In other words, John felt it
was his job to proclaim, to draw attention to, the revelation of God.

The apostle Paul says a similar thing in Ephesians. In explaining his purpose in ministry, he cites
the idea that he’s there to “make plain” God’s will to others. Read:

“Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you,
that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading
this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not
made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy
apostles and prophets…

“I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his
power. Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach
to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the
administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all
things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be
made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal
purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we
may approach God with freedom and confidence.”

Did you catch what Paul was about? He felt that it was his job “to preach”, “to make plain”, “to
make known” the wisdom of God. That’s his job as an apostle and a teacher: to help people
understand the will of God. It’s not that people can’t ascertain the will of God by themselves; it’s
simply that Paul views himself here as a servant: he just wants to help, to be of assistance in this
endeavor.

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In Colossians, he repeats this idea:

“I have become [the church’s] servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the
word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations,
but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles
the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may
present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so
powerfully works in me.”

Paul viewed it as his job to “present the word of God (the revelation of God) in its fullness.” This
involved “admonishment” and “teaching”. And this is precisely what he put all his labor and
energy towards.

Okay, enough “beating around the bush”: at the very least, in the same way that Paul served
Christians in the ancient church through helping them understand God’s will and purposes, your
pastor or other Christian teachers or a Christian with the gift of discernment in our present day
can help you determine God’s will. This is, of course, providing they are truly in tune with God.
And, of course, this requires a certain measure of faith and trust, too. (Scary, isn’t it?) But, the
fact remains: when you seek the counsel of the saints you can be that much surer of God’s will. It
is not a “solo cure” kind of thing, but it does help.

Along with this, the Bible tells us some other ways God chooses to reveal his will to us. But
that’s enough for today, I think. We’ll look at some of these other items tomorrow.

Until then,
Troy

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 Letter 5: the Holy Spirit and spiritual battle

Dear C---,

We’re looking at the “how” part concerning “knowing God’s will”. Let’s not forget our
foundation: revelation and faith. And let’s not forget the two “guideposts” we noted yesterday:
the Bible and the counsel of the saints.

Today, we’ll look at a couple more considerations. One of these finds its source in God and his
revelation. The other, perhaps, pertains to our faith, our ability to see God’s heart with clarity.

First, in light of the fact that God guides us through the Bible and through the church, it should
be noted that there is another more “direct” way God guides us: the Holy Spirit. The Bible says:

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his
own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” (John 16:13)

Maybe this is what Jesus is referring to when he says “My sheep know my voice.” Sometimes
“you just know” the right thing to do. God sometimes gives you a peace in your spirit about a
certain action or prospective decision.

However, it is important to check this with the community of believers and to check this against
the Word of God. In spite of that, however, I believe this is an under-rated method of telling
God’s will.

The question is: how do we know it’s the Holy Spirit and not some evil spirit or merely our own
self-deception influencing us? There are a few ways, I think, to address this issue. Some of these
points are more “preventive” in nature than others, but all should come to bear on this issue:

1. Often, as a believer, if you are entertaining an idea that is not in line with God’s will, the Holy
Spirit will give you a “check” in your spirit about that idea. If it will lead you into sin, you can be
sure of this, since part of the Holy Spirit’s work involves “conviction” of sin. This may be what
Jesus is referring to when he says that the Holy Spirit “will convict the world of guilt in regard to
sin…” (John 16:8) Indeed, many Christians believe as such.

2. The Bible tells us to fight the enemy (Satan and his demons) in prayer, in right belief and in
appropriating the armor of God.

We fight the enemy in prayer by appropriating the person, work and name of Jesus Christ in our
milieu. For example, at home you may choose to declare that each room, each space, each table
and chair belongs to Jesus Christ. You may choose to speak out loud that the blood of Jesus
Christ has purchased you and your home and that the adverse powers have no authority there.
You may choose to speak out the name of Jesus, reminding the adverse powers that Jesus is risen
again from the dead, that Jesus is Lord of Heaven and Earth and they have no dominion or power
in your home or in your heart.

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The adverse powers are also defeated as you saturate your mind with truth, worship and
praise. For example, often the adverse powers will try to influence you through convincing you
that “you’re a good-for-nothing sinner; you’re hopeless; you’re just going to step into it again,
anyway, so-why-not-give-in-right-now.” But this is a lie. And it comes from The Liar. The Truth
is: “You are a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” The Truth is: Jesus has bought
you. The Spirit of God is living inside you. You are accepted, you are secure, you are significant.
You are God’s child. You are the Bride of Christ. You have been set free. All of these are truths
in God’s Word that form the basis of your life. If you really believe that you are a good-for-
nothing sort of person, eventually you’ll find yourself acting according to that belief. But, if you
really believe that you have been set free, well, then, why go back to a life of slavery to sin?

Another example. True or false: God is good. True, of course, but do we really believe this? Let
me show you now, how doubting this simple truth causes errors in judgment in even every-day
kinds of situations. And those errors in judgment divert us from following God’s ways.

Some time ago, I discovered a grain inside me that (I'm sorry to say) actually thought: “God is
not totally good.” I discovered that I had been thinking of God as a person who was “out to get
me”. “Sure, he does give grace,” I thought, “but he kind of gives it grudgingly and only little bits
of it at a time, when I need it. Take, for instance, our finances. Now that Heather and I feel a
strong sense of calling to Madrid, God will not provide for us.” Because of this, I think: “What
do I need to do now to compensate for God’s indifference to our plight?” I make a list: “I need to
make phone calls, write emails, ask people and just generally start to get in a worry and a huff
about what I need to do to make up for God’s apathy.” This began to affect my prayer life, my
reading of the Scriptures: I engaged in those activities to show God “what a good boy I can be”,
to earn his favor and hopefully curry some reward from him. As time went on I began to get
more and more irritated with God and I began to treat others with something that I will call less-
than-kindness, consideration, respect and gentleness. Even my wife and kids got the brunt of my
general irritability.

A simple little lie: God is not good. And yet it affected me and the relationships I had.

We do battle with the enemy through saturating our mind with truth. This may be what the
Scripture is referring to when we are told to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to
Christ.” It says this in Second Corinthians, chapter 10, verses 3 through 5:

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight
with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish
strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the
knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Can you see how, if we would only do this, we would go a long way in knowing if thoughts and
inclinations have authentic, God-centered origins or if they spring from the lies of the devil or
those of the world?

And is it any wonder that we are told in Ephesians 6:

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“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our
struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the
powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to
stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of
truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your
feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up
the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the
helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit
on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”

Here are a handful of things to say about this text:

1. Did you notice how the first piece Paul tells us to put on is “the belt of truth”? (Saturate your
mind with truth!)

2. Did you notice the piece that “extinguishes the flaming arrows of the evil one”? The shield of
faith!

3. Did you notice the only offensive piece? The sword of the Spirit: the word of God: revelation!

4. Because these items are essential to our life, I have tried to visualize this text at various times
in the past, literally taking a few minutes in the morning, putting on the armor of God through
slowly meditating on this Scripture and making it a prayer of appropriation. The effect was
tremendous. I invite you to do the same.

That said, doing battle with the adverse powers goes a long way towards building a sense of
confidence that one is walking in the ways of the Lord and not in the path of evil. But, I would
be remiss if I did not mention one other thing you should keep in mind regarding our battle with
the adverse powers: it is not only fought through prayer, right thinking and putting on the armor
of God. It is also fought through simply living a holy life.

Often, I have heard people, who say they believe in Jesus, express a desire to know God’s will
with regard to a particular matter in their life. Yet, while they are talking about deciding whether
or not to take a particular job or live in a certain house or any other number of incidental matters,
they are at the same time engaging regularly in sex with an unmarried partner or knowingly
cheating on their taxes or repeatedly lying to their boss or abusing their children verbally.

I will not mince words here: this is hypocrisy. These people are no better than the Pharisees who
strain out a gnat, yet swallow a camel. They sound pious and Christian, they talk like they are
passionate about following God’s lead, but they have clearly forgotten the more important
matters of mercy and compassion and justice and Christ-like virtue. Pardon my expression, but: I
don’t “give a rip” if you think it is God’s will for you to take a certain job when you’re treating
your wife like she’s dirt and browsing porn on the internet. Don’t neglect the latter to pay mind
to the former. It’s not that God doesn’t care about your career; it’s just that he cares more about
who you are than what you do.

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This is to say: sin always clouds judgment. There’s a reason Solomon tells us that “sin is folly.”
It has a way of making us stupid, really. (Have you ever noticed, by the way, how even the
smartest people do the stupidest things? Example: yes, some college professors—really smart
people--sexually harass their students. Example: Enron executives—really smart people—
commit sins of greed. Yes, sin makes even the smartest people in the world seem incredibly
stupid.) And thus we’re back at faith.

You’ve got to believe, to trust God with your whole life in order to hear him as he wants to be
heard. So, the best thing you can do to determine God’s will for your life is both simple and
hard: just follow him and obey him regarding what matters most to him. When he tells you to
stay away from certain things, stay away from them. And when he tells you to run after certain
things, by all means, run after them! He’ll take care of the rest, believe me.

What is it that Jesus said? “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness…” and don’t worry
about the rest.

That said, we’ve established a few “guideposts” when it comes to this issue of knowing God’s
will. These “guideposts” are (thus far): the Bible, the community of believers (especially those
with teaching, pastoral and discernment gifts), the Holy Spirit, and battle with the forces of evil
(through prayer, truth, the armor of God and holy living).

Remember, these “guideposts” are anchored in the “concrete” of revelation and faith. That is,
ultimately, we can know God’s will because God is a God who reveals himself and his plans to
us and, as we choose to believe that revelation, we come to see first-hand the truth of it.

Tomorrow, I’ll suggest one or two other “guideposts” and conclude with a closing thought/idea.

Until then,
Troy

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 Letter 6: circumstances, prayer and God’s openness

Dear C---,

Here’s where we left off yesterday:

“…we’ve established a few ‘guideposts’ when it comes to this issue of knowing God’s will.
These ‘guideposts’ are (thus far): the Bible, the community of believers (especially those with
teaching, pastoral and discernment gifts), the Holy Spirit, and battle with the forces of evil
(through prayer, truth, the armor of God and holy living).

“Remember, these ‘guideposts’ are anchored in the ‘concrete’ of revelation and faith. That is,
ultimately, we can know God’s will because God is a God who reveals himself and his plans to
us and, as we choose to believe that revelation, we come to see first-hand the truth of it.”

Let’s continue now with just a couple more “guideposts”.

Sometimes God also reveals himself to us through “providential circumstances”. Sometimes,

we refer to these as “coincidences”. To the unbelieving person, it seems like the believer is just
playing tricks with his/her mind; but to the believer, these kinds of incidents bear the mark of
God and the warmth of a real, living relationship.

Think, for example, of the day after we prayed together that God would give you the ability to
believe. That morning you "just happened" to read something in the Scriptures that confirmed
and reinforced your faith. You sensed God was speaking to you in a very deep, personal way. It
was no mere “coincidence” that the story from the Bible that you read paralleled that of your
own experience. God directed you to a text of Scripture that would be keenly helpful to you at
that time. Now, to the unbeliever, that story could just be explained away as mere “coincidence.”
But to you it seemed clear that God was guiding you to a more firmly established commitment to
follow Jesus through that “coincidence.” And, of course, you were right.

I know this because any time God intervenes in our lives in those kinds of miraculous ways it
results in a building of the qualities God desires in us: greater faith, surer hope, and stronger
love.

And that can be a kind of “test” to determine whether or not these “circumstances” are to be
taken as indicators of God’s will or temptations to stray from God’s will. If you’re wondering,
for example, if a certain course of action is from God, ask yourself: “Will it result in greater
holiness?” If not, it is not in line with God’s intentions for you.

But, beware: this method of determining God’s will for us is pretty “shaky” and often abused.
Many times I hear Christians talking about “laying out a fleece” to determine what God wants.

This "laying out a fleece" idea is a reference to Gideon in the Old Testament who needed
confirmation of God’s leading before heading into battle. Gideon boldly asked God to perform a
miracle when he asked God to make a sheep’s fleece moist and the ground dry (as a sign of

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God’s wishes); then, the next evening, he asked for the opposite. And, in both instances, God
answered Gideon’s request.

Though God can and does work in this way, it should be noted that this experience is not
normative, nor should we presume to put God to the test. Sometimes God doesn’t want us to be
certain of the future so we have to step out in faith. (Remember: that, after all, is what God really
desires).

I know a person who used the “fleece” argument to justify leaving a stable job, a good home and
a good church to move out to “the country”, to build a new house and to start his own business.
In that instance, God seemed to answer the “fleece” in the affirmative, but now, years later, he
has come to see that he made a big mistake. It is interesting to note in this instance that the
person concerned did ask other Christians for their advice about this potential move, but chose to
ignore counsel to the contrary. So…this is to say: beware of using “fleeces” or depending solely
upon circumstances to ascertain God’s will. Always couple such “signs” with an investigation of
Scripture and seeking the counsel of the saints.

This last example brings up another point we do well to keep in mind: It is wise to remain
content with whatever place God has given you at the present, unless there is clear direction from
God and vision to move on to something else.

In Christian ministry, this is an often-ignored bit of wisdom. Often, pastors will become
discouraged with their present ministry and think: “Well, maybe it’s time for me to move on to
something else.” But, when you ask them what that “something else” might be, they don’t really
have an answer. Further, they invoke “stepping out in faith” as justification for their proposed
move. But, what would take more faith: to stay where they are and “stick it out” or to disconnect
from “the pain” in favor of an easier life?

And “ministers” are not the only people who do this. Many others do, as well. It’s human nature
to avoid pain. But an easier life is not always a better life. Sometimes God wants us in dark
valleys so we learn to trust him more. Remember, it’s all about relationship.

That brings me to another way God guides us (and with this we finish up our “guideposts”):
through prayer. As we go through hard times, we are driven to God in prayer. And, as we are
driven to God in prayer, God reveals himself to us. James says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he
[or she] should ask.”

It sounds so simple: just ask. But, what is it that Jesus said? “Ask and it shall be given to you.
Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened.”

As we seek God in faith, he will reveal himself to us. Simple, really. Can it be explained just
how this works? Not really. You just have to experience it to believe it. The irony is: you may
also need to believe it in order to experience it in the first place. And there we are again, back at
our little leaps of faith. Do you get the feeling that’s what God’s really after with us: just belief?

He may be concerned more with that, quite honestly, than this or that particular “thing” in our

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life. Of course, he is concerned with everything (even the very hairs of our head are numbered),
but what he really wants is faith, no matter where we may find ourselves.

I’ll close with an example. Once a young person asked me what she thought God’s will was for
the next step in her future. She listed about 5 options, all of which were very different kinds of
things. It was clear that, were she to choose option 1, for example, she would be automatically
opting out of option 4. Doing this would then cause her to opt out of a whole array of
possibilities concerning future careers and such. I can’t remember all of the options, but they
were something like this:

Should she…

1. Work at a gas station for the next year to earn money to go to a “secular” college?

2. Go to Christian college to study for the ministry?

3. Travel around Europe to study art for a year?

4. Take a job in her father’s business that would be regarded as “long-term”?

5. Marry her boyfriend and not plan on working at all (because he was “set” financially)?

She honestly wondered what she should do. She asked me, “Should I do option 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5?”

My answer?

“Yes.”

Yes, any one of those may be in line with God’s will for you. And, in fact, all of those may be in
line with God’s will for you.

The fact is: God may have given her all those options and then not revealed to her (on purpose!)
exactly which one he wanted so that she’d have to take a leap of faith. And, in fact, God may not
even have a preference one way or the other. And, if that thought seems distasteful to some, keep
in mind that it doesn’t make God any less interested in our lives that he may not have a
preference concerning something like our choice of career. On the contrary, it may mean that
he’s more interested. After all, what this tells us about God is that he’s so interested in us that he
wants us to have the joy of really choosing and then discovering what it means to follow him in
the particular path we’ve chosen. Remember, he doesn’t want to control us like we’re robots. He
may give us lots of options precisely because he loves us. And those options may be genuinely
“open.” This is the language of relationship, after all.

So, as I see in your email, you cite “reluctance” in your spirit about certain issues that you feel
are related to God’s will for you. This is to en-courage you: from a standpoint of walking in
basic obedience to God, consult the Word of God, pray about it, and talk with some believers
who have gifts of insight about it. Then, by all means, step out in faith. You can be sure that, no

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matter what happens, God will be with you. And that, after all is the point.

I hope this helps.

Love,
Troy

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