Adapted from Should a Christian Wear Purple Sweat Socks?

"I can't see where we're going!" Headlights of oncoming cars blurred into an erie glow as Dave cautiously inched off the road.

"I'll scrape it off," I offered, venturing into the freezing rain and slush. But three blocks later, the windshield was once again iced over. And once again I went back into the storm for more scraping and shivering.

"I know the frustration you were talking about, Dave. I remember my third-grade teacher Sunday school teacher telling the story of Moses and the burning bush. I spent the whole afternoon sitting on the back steps waiting for the spirea bush to burst into flames and a booming voice to say, "James Norman Watkins! Yea and verily I sayeth unto thee, take off thy sneakers for thou art standing on holy ground!' Nothing! The next week, she told the story of God speaking to the entire Hebrew nation from the smoke and fire of Mount Sinai. So I spent one night staring into a trash burner, but the only I thing I got was sick from smoke inhalation.

"Jim, you're really weird."

"You're probably right. But the most frustrating thing is hearing older Christians say, 'God spoke to me about--whatever. I've knelt by my bed, tried to quiet my mind, and prayed, 'God, I'm trying to figure out if this thing is right or wrong. PLEASE tell me'."

"And absolutely nothing happens, right?"

"Right! You have the same problem?"

By this time, the windshield was coated once more.

"Hey, Dave, it's actually starting to defrost a spot on my side!" I moved some gloves, a ten-year-old road map, and a paperback book to see through the clear area. "Tell you what. You run the gas and the brakes from your side, and I'll steer from over here."

"Well, I guess it's that or spend the rest of our lives on Capital Avenue. Tell me when we come to red lights and curves and pedestrians and stuff."

Obviously we arrived alive or there would be another person's name on the cover of this book. But lying in bed that night, my mind floated from our questions about "hearing God" to our daring ride in the sleet. We had been searching for "signs," "fleeces," "omens," "visions," or "dreams" that would give us some indication of God's thoughts on various issues and decisions we both needed. (Everything from "What sophomore classes should I take next semester?" to "Who am I going to marry?") The blinding sleet seemed to be a vivid metaphor of our inability to see down the road of life. But maybe that was also the answer!

1. Give God the "steering wheel" of your life.

St. Paul writes, "Therefore, I urge you . . .in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:1-2, NIV).

The first step, then, in understanding God's thoughts, is to present ourselves completely to God. Richard Wynn, my former Youth For Christ director, described becoming a "living sacrific" as "giving all you know about yourself to all you know about God." All our talents, abilities, dreams, and aspirations are now to be used for God's glory.

I had not fully trusted the direction of my life to God. Sure, I had given Him the radio, the glove compartment, and the back seat of my life, but I had never willfully turned over the steering wheel. I had been driving blindly down the road of life, when God wanted to give me meaning and purpose in my journey. He was in the car, but I didn't trust His steering.

You can't trust someone who don't know as Chuck and I discovered one night in high school. My friend had borrowed his parent's brand new T-bird, we'd splashed on half a bottle of after-shave, and headed for the big game to meet some girls. As we approached a traffic light, a car that looked like something Fred Flintstone had traded in seemed stalled in the intersection. We swung around the car, squealed our tires, and roared down the street.

Suddenly "Fred" began gaining on us; then pulled beside us. His face was scarred and his eyes glared out of the deep sockets.

"Let's lose this psycho!" I shouted.

Chuck stomped the accelerator. But the faster we sped, the faster Fred sped to keep along side of us. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him reach for something chrome-plated.

"He's got a gun, Chuck!" I tried to pull my friend onto the floor board with me, as he tried to regain control of the speeding car. Then our worst fears were realized. It was a badge! Battle Creek Township Police undercover unit.

That was my second experience with the BCTP. One bright summer day, my brother and I decided to let our guinea pigs see the world outside their cages. "Hamlette" and "Squeaky" were munching on grass and enjoying their new-found freedom. Suddenly, both spied a hole in the base of our cement block garage! Within seconds, our guinea pigs had vanished into the concrete hideout.

So, what does a mom do when her five- and eight-year-olds are crying hysterically and two guinea pigs are holded-up in their bunker? She calls the Battle Township Police. As a second-grader, that black and whie car was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. I knew The Lone Ranger and Tonto had arrived to save our pets from certain death.

What was the difference between my two reactions to the local law officers. In one case, I knew help had arrived. In the second, I "knew" Chuck and I were about to be two more "drive-by" fatalities!

I felt the same way about God. He kept pulling up along side of my car and announcing, "I'd like to drive your car, son." And I kept thinking, no way! I wanted to be a writer. But I just "knew" if I gave Him 100 percent of my life, He would require me to torch my typewriter just to prove my commitment to Him. Then I discovered Romans 12:2. God's "will" is "good, pleasing and perfect"! I began to get to know God. I discovered He wanted the steering wheel, not to manipulate or enslave me, but to give me meaningful direction. It wasn't until I read about--and believed in--His unconditional love that I could trust Him with the decisions of my life.

But it's only available to those who have given all we know about ourselves to all we know about Him.

2. Clear out the clutter.

Before I was able to steer Dave's car, I had to clear off the dashboard. Before God can direct our thoughts, we have to clear out the clutter that gets in the way of our relationship.

Again, in Romans 12, Paul urges us to ". . . not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2, italics mine).

Disobeying God begins to break our communication line with Him. Only by allowing Him to be Lord of our thoughts and actions, can understand His plan for our lines.

3. Listen to God's instructions.

Dave paid close attention to my shouts of "Red light!" "Down shift for this curve," and "Okay, the light's green." But how do we "hear" God?

(1) God speaks through Scripture. Probably 95 percent of what we need to know about "God's will"--what He loves, what He hates, what's important to Him--is found in His Word.

For instance, we don't have a work up a case of spiritual perspiration to know that God wants Christians to only marry Christians (see 2 Corinthians 6:14). And Acts 1:8 makes it clear that He wants us to tell others about Him.

The Bible, then, is the first filter to judge our decisions. (If the Bible doesn't seem clear on an issue, check out What Does the Bible Really Say? for suggestions.)

(2) God speaks through His servants Between my sophomore and junior years at college, I complained to my pastor's wife, Elsie Drummond, "I just haven't found the right girl at college."

"Jim, I feel like God is telling me that the first girl you meet when you return to Marion College will become your wife."

Yah, yah, I thought as I arrived on campus that fall. Still, I returned with fear and trembling. I just know the Bride of Frankenstein will be waiting for me! So, I hid out in Williams Hall until a friend invited to a concert. "I'll meet you at the drive outside of Shatford Hall." Before I could object "That's a women's dorm," he had hung up.

As I sat on a bench outside the hall, I heard footsteps. My heart pounded as I stared at the ground. I could hear them coming closer. Please, not the Bride of . . . Wow! Those feet belonged to a beautiful brunette named Lois Farra, and two years later she changed her name to Lois Watkins.

Some would label this meeting as simply a coincidence. That's possible. But as I have tried to trust in the Lord and get to know him better, the number of "coincidences" has dramatically increased! And I've become convinced that God also speaks through other Spirit-filled Chrsitians.

(3) God speaks through His Spirit The reason I never "heard" God's voice was that I thought God sounded like Charlton Heston (remember the movie "The Ten Commandments"?). God would have a deep, booming voice, with lots of reverb, and, of course, He would speak in King James English ("Yea and verily I say unto thee, this is my will-eth").

But look at Romans 12:2 again. ". . . be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is . . . ." God sounds like Jim Watkins! And He sounds like you! God "talks" to us through our own thoughts.

Okay, that brings up even more questions. Which thoughts are Gods? Which thoughts are the Enemy? Which thoughts are ours? And which thoughts are the cold pizza we ate for breakfast? God's thoughts will always agree with His Words in Scripture. So, if "God" is telling you to do something contrary to the Bible, it's probably the pizza!

God's Spirit also "speaks" to us through our emotions. Do you ever have those feelings that something isn't quite right, but you can't pin-point why it's not right. I believe that God uses those inner feelings as well.

Notice how we're moving from objective ways of knowing (God's Word in black and white) to mere feelings. Remember to begin with God's Word. If it says, "thou shall not," God's will is that thou shall not. And it's always wise to talk to an older Christian for advice.

And He will direct your paths

Finally, let me suggest that "God's will" is not always a narrow, specific, one-and-only-one path. God's will is clearly laid out in Proverbs 3:5-6:

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will direct your paths."

Notice that it's paths, not path! His will is that we trust Him completely; that we depend on His wisdom; and that we get to know Him in a real way. (God gave us His Word, not so we could know it, but that we could know Him.)

So, there may not be one-and-only-one person for you to marry. Eventually, you'll need to narrow it down to one. But--if you're trusting Him, leaning on Him, getting to know Him--He may direct your paths to two or three choices. (Notice that Proverbs reads "paths" (plural), not "path." Any one of them would be within His will. And same applies to where you live, what you do for a living, etc.

There may be several "paths" (notice Proverbs 3:6 is plural) as we follow Him.

Copyright © 1987, James N. Watkins. All rights reserved.



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