Recognizing the will of God – Part 11

Follow your heart             Bible Reading: Philippians 2:1-15

Last night before I went to bed, I set my alarm clock to wake me up by 5:30 this morning. I was just about taking my sleep to the fourth gear when it started ringing. So I stretched my hand to the clock and without opening my eyes, I silenced it and continued sleeping till 7:00am.  Why should I do this? – I said to myself when I woke up. My reasoning tells me that I had a lot of reasons why I should obey my alarm clock, but my earnest desire was to have some more time to sleep. And like it often happens, I followed my desire.

Most times we do not end up doing what we think we should do, but what we desire to do. There were so many times when I desired to wake up by 4:00am, and without the aid of my alarm clock, I woke up at exactly that time. There is a power that unleashes from within when you are acting based on your own will or desire. God is very much aware of this that is why one way he communicates his will to us is by ‘wiring’ them into our deepest desires.

Philippians 2:13 says it so well “…for it is God who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight” (AMP).

Do you know why I love the way the Amplified version puts it? It is because of the phrase “all the while”. Yes! All the while God has been cultivating in you the desire to start that business, but you say ‘No, I need to hear a voice’; For some years, your heart has been nudging you to end that relationship, but you say “no voice, no way”; All the while your heart has been craving to be a missionary, but no one seems to be in support of it; Your heart is ticking to buy those shares, but you say they have not risen in the past six months. Why disregard the ticking of your wristwatch because it is not a church clock. We have been saying “No” to the desires God has placed in us because we have not heard an audible voice. No wonder many are not progressing in the way that seems right to them.

You may ask, what if my desire is not really God’s will. Well, we will address this in our subsequent messages. But before that, I will like you to absorb the verse of scripture above. God is constantly at work in you to make you please him. To achieve this, he creates in you a desire/will. This ‘Will’ comes with an energy that guarantees success once it is obeyed. Look back into your life and you will see so many instances where you desired something deeply and you thought it would take ages to get it, but it came your way without difficulty. Look now at your life and you will realize that you are already experiencing some of your deepest desires of yesterday.

If genuine Christians really followed their heart, their lives will be an epitome of excitement. Above following men or trend, learn to follow your heart.

To be continued …

– tope aladenusi