... on His will for my life.

A Dream Within a Dream

One of my favorite movies recently released is Christopher Nolan's Inception.  For those who haven't seen it, or for the majority of us that did see but still don't understand it, it is the classic tale of a group of rebels who must come together to overcome a big obstacle.  What sets this tale apart from others is the setting - dreams.  Or more specifically, dreams within dreams (within dreams).  Suspense is built throughout the story as the characters dive deeper and deeper within dreams to multiple levels of dreaming, all the while having to quickly and precisely accomplish tasks that must sync within the different levels of dreams in order for the overall goal to be accomplished.  Confused, yet?

What builds the edge-of-your-seat excitement is that for the goal to be accomplished there are multiple elements at play simultaneously and each step in the mission requires pin-point timing and laser-like precision to pull it off.  If one mistake happens, one hesitation or bad decision made, the entire mission is compromised  and ends up falling apart and failing.  Precision in execution is critical to fulfilling the mission, and one wrong step spells wasted effort, wasted time and irreversible consequences.

Is God's Will for My Life Like Inception?
Sometimes I think that my life with God is a lot like Inception.  I worry that if I don't execute the plan exactly and act precisely as I'm supposed, I might sabotage the plan and mission God had intended for me.  And so I end of being paralyzed with fear, not wanting to make the wrong decision and send my life on a wrong trajectory ending up in a discontent life of less impact for God and His Kingdom.

The underlying question is, "God, what is Your will for my life?".

I cannot tell you how many times I have had conversations with friends, college students, high school kids, young adults and even retired people who ask the same question.  And while it is a great question to ask, I think it is also a dangerous question to ask if it comes packed with certain certain underlying assumptions.

Some of the dangerous assumptions are:
1)  It is normal and expected that Christians hear from God specific directions on all of life's choices, especially the 'big ones,' and if you don't then something's wrong.
2)  I shouldn't act unless I know 100%, without a doubt, megaphone from Heaven, written on the sky, spoke to me in a dream, that this is the decision God wants from me.
3)  I am the main character of my life's story.
4)  A life that gets noticed by other people is one of importance.
5)  God's will is always something I'll be excited about.
6)  God's will is always something I'll hate.

There are more assumptions, but these are some ones I deal with regularly.  And it's easy for me to see
And what disguises itself as a humble request for answers can  quickly and easily become a narcassictic, self-focused way of not having to walk with God in humble faith day by day through life.

This line of thinking puts me as the protagonist in my life's story instead of Jesus.
This line of thinking puts the world's definition of importance and success above Jesus' Kingdom definition.
This line of thinking isn't seeking to have more faith, but actually less, as I don't want to have to trust God moment-by-moment and instead want to live in the security of my own comfort and understanding.

So, What IS God's Will for My Life?
It is God's will for me...

     ... to think deeply about how I am spending my life.

          Psalm 90:12, Eph. 5:15-17

     ... to remember that the story isn't primarily about what God does through my life but about what God has done for us through Jesus' life.
          Gal. 2:20, Phil. 2:9-11

     ... to be sexually pure.
          1 Thess. 4:3

     ... to be thankful.
          1 Thess. 5:18

     ... to do good.
          1 Pet. 2:15

Helpful Reminders When Seeking God's Will
Few people in Scripture are told explicitly what God's specific plan for their life was.  Remember when Peter wanted to know about God's plan for John's life? (John 21:20-23)  Jesus response to Peter was simple - "Follow me."  Step by step.  Perhaps it is best summed up in the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus tells his listeners who are worried about what the future holds, Jesus tells them to quit worrying and seek God's righteousness and the nearness to Him that comes from living in His Kingdom (Matt. 6:33)

And that's what it comes down to.  Yes - seek God's will for your life.  But remember how much He's already told you about how He wants you to live.  Do that.  Seek holiness.  Seek to deal with sin seriously.  Be thankful.  Do good to others.  And trust that when you seek Him in the everyday that He will show you exactly all you need to know about the next days.



Addendum
It is important to know that a person is only opened to the wisdom of God's will after their lives have been transformed by Jesus through the gospel.  We need to be given the heart and mind of Christ before we can know the heart and mind of God.
Rom. 12:2
Phil. 2:13-14
Col. 1:9
Heb. 13:20-21