Learning What God Wants

In 1969. Frank Sinatra introduced the song, “I Did It My Way.”  Today doing it my way seems to be the main philosophy of American people.  As a result, people are becoming increasingly selfish and less considerate about what other people need or want.  Our political system is deeply divided because no one wants to consider the concerns of those who have different needs or desires.  Divorce is rampant for the same reason.  Today the divorce rate is declining because so many are so selfish they are not willing to even make the commitment to get married.  The same attitude has been carried over into the church. with people looking for false teachers who will preach what they want to hear, instead of what God wants, as Paul warned in II Timothy 4:3-4.  “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 

Many of these people will tell how much they love the lord, but John 14:24 tells us, “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.”  People who insist on doing things their own way are just as unloving toward God as the person who insists on doing everything their own way in a marriage is to their mate.  In order to make a marriage work properly, it is crucial to learn what one’s mate wants or needs and work so that both people can have their emotional and physical needs met.  If we don’t care enough to find out what they need, we will never be able to meet those needs consistently, leaving them dissatisfied. 

Similarly, if we want to have a proper relationship with the Lord, we must find out what he needs and wants, and act accordingly, as John 14:21 tells us.  “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”   To learn what he wants will require making the effort to study the scriptures, as II Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”  To understand the scriptures properly( rightly divide them), it is crucial that we read then carefully and think about or study what they are saying. 

The scriptures tell us everything we need to know in order to pleas God, according to II Timothy 3:16-17.  “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”  If we will spend the time studying the scriptures, John 16:13 promises, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth…”  This protects us from following false teachers, because as I John 2:27 tells us, “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”  We no longer need special teachers to tell us what the scriptures mean, and since the scriptures provide everything we need to be completely prepared to serve God, we don’t need prophets to bring us new revelations.