God's Modus Operandi (Part 5 of 5)

God reveals His will to us in several different ways. We need not be confused about hearing His voice, as it comes through several different avenues.

I've spent four weeks building a foundation for how to know God's will, focusing on ten keys to understand how God works in our lives and in the world. This week, I'll conclude this series in talking about how we can hear God's voice.

We must learn how to see God at work if we are to cooperate with His will. God isn't illogical. He generally, most of the time, works within our realm of understanding. When you're trying to discern God's will, use your brain. THINK. Use pro-con lists. Study. Read. Think deeply. Meditate. Put two and two together. God can also speak through your five senses. What you see may be what He wants you to know. What you hear may be what He is telling you to do. The senses send data to the heart and mind and through those stimuli, God often speaks to us by allowing our minds and consciences to react and give us important feedback.

God can also speak through our intuition and instincts. At times, you may just have an inner awareness, an inner knowing, that resonates and gives you the needed impression of what to do. Your intuition and instincts should not be your first consideration. Don't live and make all decisions based on feelings, because they can be unreliable. Your conscience is another internal guiding system Go can speak through. You conscience is not the same as the Holy Spirit's guidance, because it can be corrupted or seared. Still, God can use it in the lives of Christians and non-Christians.

Outside of yourself, God also speaks through other Christians and through His Word. God may send a message through your pastor, the counsel of others, and messages or sermons. Most of us disregard these sources and don't listen very well. Consistent study of the Bible finds its way into our thinking patterns and Truth regenerates and renews he mind day by day. The Bible may not have one specific verse that peaks directly on every issue of life, but over time you will develop Godly wisdom. You must UNDERSTAND His Word properly AND apply it properly. Tagging Bible verses on your decisions and baptizing your actions isn’t what I’m talking about. It’s being responsible with scriptural truth (2 Timothy 3:16).

Finally, God speaks through the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit and can use the consequences of your actions to teach you. The Holy Spirit's voice may not wave a huge banner in your face, but you can still hear it through prayer and through silence. Consequences are the last in this list because they are the method of God speaking to look to last. Satan can also influence circumstances, so looking at these external things can be very unreliable.

So...what do you need to do differently so that God can work greater things in your life?

God's Modus Operandi (Part 4 of 5)

As we saw last week, sin plays a significant role in our understanding of how God works. While sin does distort our spirit and soul, we are not beyond His will. God does not dismiss you because of your sin or sinful nature.

You can still understand how God works and should see to understand Him and know His will. These last three keys will complete the foundation of understanding how God works.

First, despite even significant errors in judgment and sinful choices on our part, God still isn't finished with you. Look through your Bible and you'll find countless stories of men and women who have sinned significantly and still been used by God, such as Samson, David, and Elijah.

We may have detours and some may limit our overall effectiveness. We may not be as great later as before, but some of these have a greater influence later.

Secondly, God intends for you to learn from your mistakes and may possibly even do greater things through you than you may have done without them. It took Saul's and Moses' murder of others for God to turn them around...and He used them more after the fact than before.

Will you lay aside the past (good OR bad) and press on towards the mark?

Finally, sometimes forfeiting God's will means you must forfeit some thing or freedoms you hold dear. It may cost you dearly to follow God, to seek Him and His will, but the riches are inestimable.

The riches and rewards of following God's will are more than we could imagine, just as Hi will is greater than what we imagine. Sin may derail us from God's will, but it may also be the avenue He uses to turn us towards Him.

These ten keys we've discussed over the past three weeks are the foundation for knowing God's will. They are necessary to understand if one is to know and do God's will.

God's Modus Operandi (Part 3 of 5)

Last week, we looked at three keys to understanding how God works. We learned that God has a plan for your life and for mine and that He can and wants to work in your life.

This week, we'll discuss four further keys which are also necessary to understand God's will.

First, sin can keep you from discerning God's will for your life. Sin distorts the mind and psyche. It affects all parts of your soul and spirit. Spiritually, your spirit grieves or quenches the Holy Spirit when in sin (Ephesians 4:30).

Your soul, made up of your mind, will, and emotions, is also deeply affected by sin. Your thinking is messed up because it has been conformed to the world and not transformed by the work and will of God (Romans 12:2). Your will is bent on choosing something other than God's will. Your emotions have loyalties to your own will and to your own pleasure and are influenced by the sensations of the body.

Sin keeps you from discernment. Until you get rid of it, you can’t be sure about God’s direction most of the time.

Second, part of God's will is absolute and part of it is conditional. Salvation is absolute. If you're saved, God will keep you and has determined that He will do what's necessary to clean up your life (Romans 8:30; Philippians 1:6). God has open this door which no man can shut. If God wants it to come to pass, Heaven and Hell have to stand down at His authority (Revelation 3:7-8).

You’re not entitled to anything: a great job, a happy marriage, healthy kids, financial independence, etc., none of it is promised to you. Don’t expect a spiritual handout. Work as if it all depends on you; pray as if it all depends on God– and trust Him for the results.

Third, if you don't follow God's will, someone else surely will and they'll receive what God intended for you. Just look at the life of Moses. When Moses disobeyed, Joshua received the blessing of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. The Parable of the Talents also shows this (Matthew 25:14ff). He who has much, even more will be given.

There are no passes. Obedience is what He blesses. I don’t want the blessings of God to pass me by because of unfaithfulness on my part. That would be too painful.

It’s been said that there are stockpiled riches in Heaven that are unclaimed blessings that are left behind because of Christians’ unfaithfulness. Don’t let it be said of you.

Fourth, those faithful with the opportunities God gives them will receive grater blessings in the future. In Mathew 25, we see that God's blessings pile up, they don't get exhausted. What God is saying about His blessings: “There’s PLENTY more where that came from.”

He who is faithful in little will be made faithful in much… greater responsibilities and greater privileges (Luke 16:10-12). It’s your choice– will you choose to be responsible with what little or much you have? Most people are content to be a daddy’s boy. Don’t live on your parents' prestige.

God intends blessing for you, but sin often distorts our perception of God's working. If we fail to follow God's will, He will bless others instead. Understanding God's good intentions for you as well as His command that you follow His will are mandatory to hearing His voice and hearing His will for your life.

Next week, we'll look at three final keys to understanding how God works. These ten keys total are the foundation to knowing God's will. Grasping these keys will show how God works in your life to reveal His will for you.

God's Modus Operandi (Part 2 of 5)

Many Christians worry and wonder why they can't discern the Will of God and hear the Voice of God. One of the main reasons Christians can't discern the will of God is because they don't understand how God works-- they don't "get" His M.O., God's mode of operation.

The next three parts of this series will focus on understanding the way that God works before seeking to understand God's will. The reason for thinking this way is that many Christians obsess about God's will without thinking about "how God works" in the first place. Growing in discernment of God's will requires learning more about God and how He works in our lives today.

So, what truths do you need to understand about God's Modus Operandi?

First, recognize that God has an ideal plan for your life. I don’t want to get into the "God's 'perfect, permissible, prohibited' will” kind of talk here, as if God technically has two or three choices for your life (Plan A, B or C), because something strikes me as somewhat unrealistic or at least confusing about that. But, however you slide it, God absolutely has a plan for you and your life.

Read Jer. 29:11-13. This passage tells us that God knows the plan, and that it’s a plan for good, not evil. Plans, that if we participate with them, are to give us a hope and a future. You won’t find His closest intimacy and Will unless you seek Him with your whole heart.

Secondly, God wants to do infinitely more in a person's life than that person will usually allow Him to do. Read Ephesians 3:20; The Apostle Paul makes it clear that God is able do immeasurably more than anything you could ever ask for, more than your wildest imaginations could dream up. It’s not that God doesn’t want to work mightily in your life, it’s that you won’t let Him… or that you’re not doing what is necessary for that to come to pass.

You don’t get put on the spiritual shelf unless you choose to be– I think that, for 15 months as a young Christian, I was "on the shelf." I wouldn’t go forward with Him– so He was finished with me until I gave Him more of me. It’s not that you ever get more of God.. It’s that He gets more of you.

Thirdly, God wants you to know and obey His will for your life. God doesn’t want His Will for you to be a secret. But, then again, He won’t cast pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6). He knows if you’re ready to go to the next level, and He won’t tell you that next step unless you really are. If the answer in your heart is not a constant “yes” then I wouldn’t expect Him to show you His plan… If you aren’t going to obey His Will or want to look it over before doing it, then you’re not ready for prime time.

Keeping these first three keys in mind is vital in understanding God's will for Your own life. First, that God has a plan, an ideal plan, specifically for you. Second, that God can and desires to do more with you than you could dream of. If God's not working with you, examine your own attitudes toward Him; God can work mightily in Your life. And thirdly, God wants you to know His will. He's not trying to keep it a secret, but He does know if you're ready to take the next step and won't let you take it unless you are.

God can and wants to work in your life, in great ways. In our next blog, we'll discuss four more keys to understanding how God works.

God's Modus Operandi (Part 1 of 5)

A major source of anxiety for many Christians today is how to know and do the will of God.

How can I know what God really wants me to do? How do I seek and follow His will?

Understanding God's Modus Operandi is a vital foundation for discerning His purpose and will for your life. Modus Operandi, Latin for "mode of operation" refers to the way God works; how He operates. When you know the ways of God, meaning the template on which He restricts Himself, you begin to put the pieces of reality together and understand His workings.

Then you can begin to really understand how God works and begin to make serious spiritual impact.

It's been said that the problem with human life isn't that it makes perfect sense or even that it doesn't make sense at all; it's that it almost makes sense. With the conflicting factors of grace and mercy, free will and the effects of the Fall...how life should be and how we think life should be always miss the mark of how life actually is.

Most People Are Confused by God and by Life. Here's Why.

Unless you know the ways of God (Psalm 95:10) and not just see His works or actions– you’ll constantly be confused by life. And... confused by God, too.

God's ways are evidenced by His actions, but His ways are more than merely His actions. God's actions evidence His character and framework of operations, but His actions are not the equivalent of His ways.

God never intended for us to live in fear and doubt, feeling pressured to make a decision or postponing until the moment of opportunity is passed. That's not what He intended... but that's how many people choose to live-- be it due to ignorance or deliberately. In truth, God intended that His followers would be able distinguish between God's voice, their own voice, and the voice of Satan. Discernment in this takes time getting to know God and developing knowledge of God’s Word and how God works.

This series will address God's ways before addressing how to hear and discern God's will. Understanding God's ways and how He works is foundational to being able to discern His will for your life.

Are you ready to better understand God? Good. Let's roll.

Windle's Warriors: Life Lessons From High School Basketball

We all remember High School. (Life was so much simpler then).

High school were carefree days, at least for the most part. This photo is a perfect example.

It highlights a high school basketball team having a good year, celebrating life and their coach. These are the "Windle's Warriors." And every day and week of the basketball season, Coach Windle leads these hardcourt warriors onto the basketball battlefield for guts and glory.

But, alas, I've gotten distracted.

The real reason for this post isn't actually the basketball team, per se, but the life lessons that I thought about when I saw this picture of a celebrated team and their talented coach, Kevin Windle (Coach "K").

The coach was, himself, a player in high school and college. He was "one of these guys" just a few years ago. But we move from adolescence to adulthood. We live at what feels like breakneck speed, only to look up at the clock and find that we're already at half-time.

I'm currently 39, at the time of this writing. Just writing that number "hurts." Coach K is now 30. Sure, he still plays ball. He's still in great shape. He can still own every guy on his team on the court-- and he can slam down a nasty dunk and hang like a chimpanzee on the rim anytime he wants to... but he's not 15 anymore. And neither am I.

Each of us in the land of the living, except for maybe the Benjamin Button types, are getting older, not younger. As someone told me though-- it's better than the alternative (death). But though the Apostle Paul may argue with that, life is grand and worth living when it's a life well-lived. So... we age.

In a way, this aging bit is curious. After all, age is SO "relative." I've met 70-somethings who talk about those "old people" who are 80. I've talked to 60 year olds who talk about "middle age" (even though I've never met a 120 year old, which is sort of what that would mean). At the same time, when I'm 60, I'm sure that I'll think that is middle age as well, so I'm not criticizing.

And because age is all "relative," some people who are 65 think that 30 is practically pre-pubescence. As one approaching 40, I assure you it is not. Emotionally, aging (and especially certain milemarkers-- 30, 40, 50, 60+, can all cause us to reflect about life and the things that are ultimate.

Aging Forces the Issue-- with Meaning and Mortality

The two main points I want to make this this hopeless meandering I'm doing in this blog, are about what aging produces: musings about mortality and meaning.

When we hit certain ages, it hits us like a Mack truck (See Figure 2).

Figure 2 (Yeah, this one will do...)


And it's then (at certain ages or when some health malady sets us back) that we're hit with the sobering force of our mortality.

Mortality: the recognition that we are not invincible and the acknowledgment that we will not live (on earth) forever.


That's also when our minds, because of the crushing blow thoughts of mortality can be to our spirits, move to greater consideration of Meaning.

Meaning: The consideration of the relative worth and/or impact of the totality of our lives in comparison with the resources with which we have been endowed by our Creator.

So it's natural to think about mortality and meaning as we continue through life... but it needn't become crippling. Being immobilized by fear isn't the answer. And that's where I get to my conclusion.

How God Uses It

The way God creates life is interesting. He could have made life to where it wasn't measured in positive integers or numerics-- especially in divisions of 10! But He chose to do so, and part of the reason for that is to force us to deal with reality.

In life, it's SO EASY to fool ourselves or to self-delude as the case may be. We tell ourselves what ourselves want to hear. We tell ourselves what our itching ears want to hear. But God breaks into that reality from time to time, and insists that we look at life as it really is--- in stark and brutal honesty. When He does this, intermittently through life at different times, it not only gives us a reality check, but it also helps us reorient ourselves and put ourselves back onto the right trajectory. Only things as sobering as our mortality (the fact that life's end is but a heart beat away) or ultimate meaning (the conscience-evaluating scrutiny of a life lived in folly) are serious enough to jar us back on track... to the epicenter of God's Will (or, in some cases, to discover and to live out that Will).

Action Extinguishes Fear

I'll close with this. Once we get body-checked by these fears, and we're forced to see that we're 13 points behind with 15:00 left in the game of life, we realize it's now or never. Even Rocker Jon Bon Jovi realized that when he wrote that amazing song, "It's My Life." And though he's not quite the theologian and though you don't want to base your life on his slippery when wet theology, the point is "It's my life. And it's now or never. I ain't gonna live forever. I just wanna live while I'm alive. It's my life."

So what's the moral of the story?

It's that we can sit in fear about our impending mortality and the fear of meaningless living-- or we can act resolutely and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

That's why I say that "Action Extinguishes Fear."

When a person realizes they need to make life count, because they're not going to be playing hoops at Fill-In-The-Blank High School forever, the answer is simple: when we make the decision to do something about it, that changes our entire frame of mind. Our actions in these areas of concern immediately remove our fear and imbibe us with hope and vitality.

Unsure about whether or not it'll work for you? Try it.

Choose areas you need to address in your life. Make a game plan to win. Act on it. You'll see... Action extinguishes fear.