Listening to What God Wants (James 4:15) - Part 1 of 2

The correct way a man feels about God's will as outlined by James in this part of his letter is that he chooses to do what God wants.

Third, Doing What God Wants (4:15)

It is not enough for a believer to say, "If the Lord wills." Believers should consistently align their feelings with God's will. Jesus said, "My meat [food] is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work." (John 4:34). Paul often talked about the will of God in his letters to his friends (Rom. 1:10; 15:32; 1 Cor. 4:19; 16:7). Paul did not see the will of God as a chain that held him back; instead, he saw it as a key that opened doors and set him free.

There are natural laws of this universe that govern the world around us. The universe works with us when we follow these laws and work with them. However, if we don't follow these rules and fight them, the universe will work against us. For example, there are rules that govern flying. The engineer who adheres to these rules while designing and constructing the plane, along with the pilot who follows them during flight, will both be pleased to see the large machine operate flawlessly. Failure to follow the fundamental aeronautical rules can lead to a crash, resulting in fatalities and significant losses.

God's will for our lives is similar to the laws He has established. He has made rules for the universe, but the plans He has for our lives are unique to each of us. There is no one way to plan every life God has given.

Undoubtedly, all Christians must hold certain beliefs. God wants us to give ourselves to Him (2 Cor. 8:5). For example, God wants us to stay away from sexual immorality (1 Thess. 4:3). Christians should all be joyful, pray, and thank God (1 Thess. 5:16–18). Every commandment in the Bible that is meant for believers is something that God wants us to do, and we should follow it. But God doesn't ask us all to do the same job or use the same gifts. God's will is "made to fit" each of us!

We need to have the right attitude about what God wants. Some people incorrectly think that God's will is like a cold, unfeeling machine. God starts it, and we have to make sure it keeps working well. If we don't do what He says, the machine stops working, and we are out of God's will for the rest of our lives.

God's will is not a machine that doesn't care about people. You don't figure out what God wants in a mechanical way. God's will is a relationship that is always changing between God and the believer. Even when the believer disobeys, the Father still has a relationship with His child, even if He has to punish His child.

I don't want to think of the will of God as a cold, impersonal machine. Instead, I want to think of it as a warm, living body that is always changing. If something goes wrong with my body, I don't die. Other parts of my body make up for it until that part of it starts working right again. There is pain and weakness, but not always death.

Going against God's will is not fatal. We do suffer, but when God can't rule, He overrules. Just like the body fixes itself when one part isn't working right, God makes changes to bring us back into His will. The lives of Abraham and Jonah clearly demonstrate this truth.

The believer's relationship with God's will may be thought of as a process. First, we need to know what He wants (Acts 22:14). Finding out what God wants isn't hard. He will show us if we are willing to follow Him (John 7:17). People have said that "obedience is the organ of spiritual knowledge." This assertion is correct. God does not show His will to people who are merely curious or careless, but to people who are ready and willing to do what He says.