I am blessed with wonderful in-laws. They have never treated me as anything less than their daughter - and they are wise in Christ, too. This week, when my dad-in-law (an ordained minister) read my post about asking children what God wants them to be when they grow up, he wrote me a wonderful email about knowing God's will for your life. It's so good, and expounds so much on what I originally wrote, I asked him if I could share it with you. He said yes. :)


"Kristina,

I believe you have addressed a most important subject in life. I am still grappling with that question. Maybe I still have not grown up!

I recall a chart I taped on my freshman dorm wall entitled, 'How To Know God’s Will For Your Life.' It came out of an on-campus chapel service concerning that topic. After all, freshman collegians are not far removed from 9 year olds! It went something like this:

• Seek to know God’s plan through concerted prayer.
• Allow Him to speak to you through his Word.
• Seek Godly counsel. 

That was okay for the moment; however, almost without notice, living life began eroding my Godly resolve, and in time I lost sight of the commitment required to achieve God’s direction for my life; I  drifted between being oblivious to the thought of God having a goal for my life, to an attitude of superficially-breathed prayers that asked God to bless the course I had chosen. 

At a Youth For Christ, Campus Life conference for high school Campus Life leaders in 1971, the speaker was addressing this subject. He said something that Mom and I believe revolutionized our concept of knowing God’s will. He said,

The specific life-calling was not as important as the attitude in which we approached our future. I believe you captured that when you introduced the God-factor into the equation [in your post]

Some years later, I sorted out a short-list of what I believe is a guideline for living - concepts necessary to live as a Christian:



CREATOR. Acknowledge God as our Creator. 
Truly if we recognize Him as our maker/molder, then we are the clay and it begs the question: Why did He put me here - what is His plan for me?

PURPOSE. Realize that our Creator has put us here for His purpose. 
We had no say concerning where and when we were born, who our parents were, or in what culture or ethnic group we entered life. As God controlled our birth, He will develop our life-plan - and yes also our end-of-life plan.

WORD. Trust the Bible to be God’s Word.
Know that everything needed to answer life’s questions and provide direction is addressed there. 'Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.' (Psalm 119:105)

OCCUPY. 'Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…'  (Col. 3:17) Understand that our ultimate objective for life is developing a relationship with our Creator that will last forever.

DESTINY. Adam and Eve experienced fellowship with their Creator until they chose to go their own way. 
I ask myself, 'Why am I a Christian?' My answer has to be the same as Peter’s: 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.'  (John 6:68)  This life is but a precursor for our eternal existence with our God and His son Jesus - a return to paradise.

Love,
Dad"