8 essential components for discerning God’s will

John MacArthur’s little book, Found: God’s Will, is probably still the best short version I have seen.

I agree that the MacArthur book Chip mentions is good. I also agree with the principle of this list.

A couple of concerns. For me PERSONALLY I never have had ANYONE give me advice (or if they did it was poor). I have found that most people are AFRAID to give advice. When someone comes to me I try to give a legitimate answer, but no one ever did for me. Even if someone comes to me who I don’t know very well, so I can’t give personal advice, I still try to give general Biblical and life principles, but no one ever did for me.

Examples: When I became a Christian at 19 none of my family was, so they couldn’t give me advice. I was sensing a call to ministry. I had just moved back to my hometown from Pennsylvania and had been attending a Southern Baptist church for a few months when I confided in the assistant pastor (of a good sized church for the area) that I was sensing a call to ministry. I will never forget the look on his face. (Now trust me, he didn’t know me, so this was nothing personal) He just kind of stared and stammered. He never said anything…It was the most awkward 2-3 minutes of my life. I will be honest. That experience HAUNTED ME for years, and led me to drop plans for ministry and go back to science (a decision I regret by the way).

Later, having invested in a science education, whenever I asked people for advice they would say, well, you have that education, that must’ve been what God wanted you to do. But, is it possible to MAKE A MISTAKE and WASTE YOUR LIFE by way of career decision. I think so.

In the middle of this experience I was thinking of enlisting in the Marine Corps. FYI I started college with a Navy ROTC scholarship to be a Naval Flight Officer. But I gave it up when I became a Christian for reasons not worth writing (this is why I moved back home from Pennsylvania). I had no scholarship support for college after that, so I needed to do something. EVERY ONE, and I mean EVERY ONE, said it would be a mistake. I ignored them AND IT WAS THE GREATEST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE up until then.

Mark

It strikes me that it ain’t too late for you to do something in ministry if that’s God calling to you. Moses really only got going at age 80, after all. Same thing with Joshua, right? And Noah waited until age 500. I’m guessing you’ve got a few years left. :^)

Shocking that you never got advice, though in my experience, there are a LOT of people out there who respond very negatively to even the most obvious advice. So maybe that explains it—they gave some obvious pointers like (real example) “you know, moving to the nation’s worst job market without a job lined up might be a bad idea” and got their head bit off, figuratively speaking, so they choose not to repeat the experience.

So at the risk of the same (nah), maybe your first bit; take a look at your skills and see where you might fit in, ask the pastor for a chance, and go for it.

(trembling in fear I am, of course)

Blessings!

I appreciate that people respond negatively to advice. Not the case here. I would love some! Though I will say at 42 I am not looking for the same kind of advice that I sought at 19!

Here’s my two cents, even though I’m younger than you(!):

• It’s not too late to go into ministry. Talk to the Pastor(s) at your church, tell them your concerns, and see if God will verify that calling on your life. Teach a Sunday School class, or something similar. You’ve probably already done stuff like this before. If you’re called, then God will make it clear whether He’s gifted and equipped you for this.

Here’s a brief military bio on me, that may relate to whether your time thus far has been “wasted:”

• I was really good in the Military Police. I’m not being prideful, I’m being serious. I was very good. Call me arrogant if you wish.
• I was the only enlisted guy to ever publish a peer-review article with the Joint Chief of Staff antiterrorism journal. I did a piece on the Khobar Towers bombing and the lessons learned for modern anti-terrorism doctrine.
• I got my BA in Emergency & Disaster Management, which dovetailed nicely with my segue into antiterrorism planning.
• I wrote the relevant chapters in the Navy’s Master-at-Arms rate training manual on evidence collection, and crime scene forensics. I even got a nice (but worthless) letter from the CO of Center for Security Forces thanking me.
• I was, for a time, a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). This is a HARD certification.
• I graduated from the Navy’s Anti-Terrorism Officer Course, the Army MP School’s Anti-Terrorism Officer Course (Basic and Advanced), the Joint Chief’s of Staff Anti-Terrorism Program Manager course, the Navy’s Physical Security Supervisor course, and am still currently accredited by the International Association of Emergency Managers.
• I was on track to jump over to the officer ranks, and would have made the leap within a year or two.

I got out at 10 years because I wanted to go into ministry. Everybody told me I was being stupid, foolish, bizarre, etc. I had a stable job, and was a rising star. I was making $58,000 (don’t let anybody tell you the military doesn’t pay well). I was doing well. But, I’ve never felt so free and at peace than the day when I was told my early separation request was approved.

I didn’t waste those 10 years. You didn’t waste yours. Test out the waters in your local church, take or audit a virtual class or two from Maranatha (shameless plug alert!), and see what doors God will open.

Preaching over. Hope this was encouraging, in some way!

See, Tyler, like I said, you need to write more. Double dog dare, don’t make me do triple. :^)

BTW, your link is to your C drive, not an available file.

But not the normal way. I have not attended seminary. Now I cannot afford to! I have looked into it and $300+ per credit hour just is impossible for me (mortgage, student loans for PhD, 4 kids).

It grates me when I tell someone I am in the ministry and they ask where I went to seminary. “I didn’t!”, I say. “Oh”…then that far away look. They then move on.

My intent was not to complain, but to point out that a key to the “Finding God’s Will” formula that includes “asking for advice or counsel” doesn’t always work. And…to encourage people to give solid advice and not ignore requests for it.

You are a certified fraud????

:-)

I get that same look when I tell people I never went to Bible College. They don’t know what to think. When I try to helpfully add, “But … I DID go to Seminary!” all it earns me from some people is suspicion. Maybe they think “Seminary” = elitist?

Take care.

….but it strikes me that the list of pastors sans seminary/Bible college is pretty long and distinguished, starting with the Apostles and including such greats as Spurgeon and Bunyan. Nothing against seminary, of course, but it does not seem that God requires a man to acquire student loans in order to serve Him.

[Mark_Smith]

But not the normal way. I have not attended seminary. Now I cannot afford to! I have looked into it and $300+ per credit hour just is impossible for me (mortgage, student loans for PhD, 4 kids).

It grates me when I tell someone I am in the ministry and they ask where I went to seminary. “I didn’t!”, I say. “Oh”…then that far away look. They then move on.

My intent was not to complain, but to point out that a key to the “Finding God’s Will” formula that includes “asking for advice or counsel” doesn’t always work. And…to encourage people to give solid advice and not ignore requests for it.

Mark,

I don’t know much about your educational background except that it is in science. I do not know if you have had any formal theological training, but if you are interested there are other options available that do not cost you your arm leg, and firstborn son. For example, there are a few seminaries that have free courses in a MOOC format are in iTunes U lectures(I’m doing a free MOOC in hermenuetics from SEBTS right now). Also there are several inexpensive seminaries out there although they are not accredditated. So do not rule out the possibility of further training. If you would like to know what options I’ve found, you can send me a PM(I don’t want to derail the thread.

Also, I do want to reiterate what TylerR has said about being in the will of God. God has, though His Sovereign working, placed you right where He wants you right now. That may or may not change,but He will always be in control no matter what happens.

Mark:

Check out some (gasp) cheaper, unaccredited options out there, like Tyndale or Paul Henebury’s Telos Biblical Institute. You could also just audit any class you want from a Seminary, still hear the lectures and get the notes, but not have to any coursework.

Hey Mark-

If God has given you a desire to minister, don’t worry about the education. As others have said, there’s a TON of resources out there, like the MOOCs that you can get via iTunes. You can even get Greek and Hebrew classes, IIRC, via iTunes for free.
Start doing what you can do now - even if it’s being an usher or teaching in a Children’s church service or whatever. God will bless that because He wants His name glorified. The time you have spent doing ‘science’ is not wasted, and may provide you with unique and special tools that He will use in your future.
If there is anything I can do to assist, please let me know. I went to Seminary but am not at a full time ministry right now, and I am satisfied with what and how God chose to work in my life with the tools I have been given. You will be too.

But my point was about giving ADVICE and it being one of the keys to finding God’s will. People like the link author and MacArthur list it as a source of wisdom, as does Scripture, BUT IT CAN BE AND IS FALLIBLE. That is my point. People might give bad advice (hey, you are good at math and science, do that), or give none at all, which is as bad as bad advice!

Can a person make a mistake in decisions. YES!

Saying “God will turn it for good” doesn’t help me at least. Take my example. How many of you desire to benefit from what I have learned about cosmology/big bang, etc. I’ll tell you. ALMOST NONE. It does no good. How many of my fellow scientists care about what Genesis 1 says about creation. ALMOST NONE. It is pointless. I don’t believe this is what God intended for me in any “perfect” sense. I made the decisions that led me here. I don’t hide under the canopy of the sovereignty of God. I messed up, and so did those who gave or didn’t give me advice.