Question #1 - How Can We Tell the Difference Between God's Desire and Our Own Desire?

A few weeks ago at K-Life we took the time to answer some of the questions that you are asking. Here are the answers to those questions that you asked on Q and A night as well as some answers to questions that we did not have enough time to address.

Question 1: How can We Tell the Difference Between God’s Desire and Our Own Selfish Desire?
That’s a great question. You know there is a popular Christian cliché out there that when someone asks you “Hey can you take on this role at church or can you do this job” that a good Christian has to answer with, “Yea Let me Pray about that and I will get back to you.” You know you hear that all the time and essentially what they are saying is, “Let me see if it’s God’s will or not.” Now praying during for a big decision is a good thing and I am not down playing that, but seriously how do you know if God is leading you in a direction or not?
Another way that people ask this question is “What is God’s will for my life?” Does God want me to be a doctor, a pastor, which college does he want me to go to, does he want me to date or marry this girl or guy? And I hear that all the time but I am here to tell you that question is the wrong question to ask because God is not going to tell you… God is going to lead you on a journey but he is not going to tell you where to step. So the question that you should be asking is not “What is Gods will for my life” but the question is “What is God’s Will?” And that question is much easier to answer because God’s will is clearly stated in his word. This may seem like a dumb example, but to ask a question, is it’s God’s will for me to go out and drunk tonight you know from the Scriptures it is not and therefore if you go out and drink you are then acting outside of God’s desire for your life. Does God want me to date this non-Christian boy? Easy No he does not want you to be yoked with a non believer because he will more like bring you down then you bring him up.
But what about big decisions? Colleges, professions, marriages? How do I know God’s Will for my life then? Now this is my opinion, but I don’t think it matters to God what University you go to and what job you do, as long as you continue to do his will and that is live a life of holiness and be about the expansion of the kingdom of God. And whatever direction you Go that is God’s will for you. If he did not want you to go there then he would of shut the doors and had you go a different route. I see too many Christians on the sidelines because they are trying to figure out “God’s perfect plan” instead of going out there and getting in the game. God will honor that more than anything. So to answer your question, how do we know God’s desire from our own selfish desire? If it goes against the word of God and you still want to engage in it then that is your sinful nature and your selfish desire. However if it goes according to his word then God has give you gifts and a passion and your desire then lines up with God’s desire.