How To Be In God's WillSample

DON’T SAY “YES” IF HE SAYS “NO”

God has endless mercy for us if we’ve chosen the wrong way in spite of His warning, and He can still get us back on track when we turn to Him. But isn’t life easier when we listen and obey Him the first time? Getting out of His will is always painful!

I knew one woman who really wanted a horse, but her husband didn’t. He knew about the work and expense involved. They didn’t have a lot of extra money at that time, and they also weren’t home a lot. 

But someone offered to give her a horse, and she took it, in spite of a nagging in her spirit that she shouldn’t, and in spite of her husband’s veto. She didn’t ask the Lord about it either – because she knew He’d say no! 

Well, it turned out badly. Daily feeding and exercising the horse became a huge burden with their busy schedule, and it ended up needing a lot of veterinary care, so she missed a lot of work staying home to meet the vet and care for the horse. That put pressure on her at her job. And the whole thing put terrible financial pressure on them, not to mention her relationship with her husband. She had dishonored him by overriding his wishes, and that stood between them as a bone of contention. 

What might seem like a blessing can turn out to be a curse if we decide to do something God says no to. Don’t say “yes” if He says “no”! That’s just called disobedience, plain and simple. Jesus said it this way: “Anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand” (Matthew 7:26 NLT). Let’s determine to listen to God and obey Him.

So those two ways are how to get out of the will of God – disobedient decisions we ourselves make, on purpose, in direct opposition to the Lord’s leading. Everything else is just us seeking Him, listening for His voice, endeavoring to hear and obey Him, and walking it out. God can do anything with a heart that says, “Father, I want to obey You. Thank you for leading and guiding me.” 

Don’t be so afraid of making a mistake that you don’t make any kind of decision at all. He’s got your back – you can trust Him to lead you when you earnestly seek His will.  

Was this plan helpful to you? It was adapted from my book “How to Make the Right Decision Every Time: 10 Keys For Finding God’s Direction.” You can read the first part here.