Doing things that please the Lord is like putting your sails up so God can guide your boat. Take small steps towards pleasing God today.
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SHAUNA: This is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope with a question everyone is asking.
JONI: And just what is that question? Well, you have asked it in times past, and often, I know I have. I have wondered “What is God’s will for my life?” Now, maybe you’ve wondered about God’s will when it came to choosing a spouse or a career, or maybe you are battling cancer and wondering about healing. Perhaps you are facing end-of-life questions.
I distinctly remember sitting in the registrar’s line on the campus of the University of Maryland in the early 70s. I was still a little brand new to my wheelchair, but my friend convinced me that I needed to start moving forward into life. And I figured the best place to do that was to go to college. I remember it was a warm afternoon in August, and my friend had been standing with me in the registrar’s line for a long time. And all the while, I’m sitting there wondering, “Am I about to register for the right classes? What if I choose something wrong, it may affect my major, it may affect my career—my whole course of life! What if I get it wrong? Oh, God, what is your will?”Well, as it turned out, I signed up for classes in public speaking and art appreciation. So, I guess I didn’t get it wrong after all. I have definitely used both!
Now, I share this story because I know a lot of young people are starting off at junior college this month, or maybe they’ve packed their bags and are heading to a university out of state. Well, at the age of 18, very few young people actually know what they’re going to do when they get out of college. Most, like me that day at the University of Maryland; most take a deep breath, pray, and—oh my goodness—hope that their freshman classes won’t take them down the wrong road on a detour.
But if there’s a freshman, or a sophomore, listening to me today, I want to give you one word of advice about your future, about God’s will. Let me share these guiding words from Ephesians 5:10: It says simply, “Find out what pleases the Lord and do it.” Now, I’m going to repeat that: Ephesians 5:10 says, “Find out what pleases the Lord and do it.” Wait [you may be wondering], can finding God’s will really be that simple? Yes! Because when you’re out to discover what pleases the Lord, the very “doing of it” has to be God’s will. And if it’s not, you have every confidence that he’s going to guide you exactly where he wants you. You have that confidence because you know you are doing what pleases him.
And how can you learn what pleases the Lord? Well, friend, open your Bible—it’s the best place to learn. Ask forgiveness if you’ve offended someone. Serve the needy in your community. Speak kindly to your family members. Share your Christian testimony in your neighborhood. Pray for a heart that is bent on doing and saying things that bring God joy. My goodness, if you are obeying God in these small things, then you are in the will of God right now!
SHAUNA: And hey, if your child or grandchild’s heading off to college, go to joniradio.org today and let us know so we can pray for them by name. And the same goes if your child’s already away at school. Our Joni and Friends prayer team would love to cover your student in prayer. Because praying for each other pleases the Lord, and we want to do it! You know, doing things that please the Lord’s like putting your sails up so God can guide your boat. So, begin to take small steps towards pleasing God, even in the little things in life—and you’ll have the confidence that God’s will for your life is unfolding just as he designed it. If you’re feeling down and want to find your way up, we want to pray for you, too. Go to joniradio.org today. That’s joniradio.org!
© Joni and Friends