Thursday nights @ the Sprunger home is our Spirit-Driven group for young adults. We call it “Thurch” for those who are seeking and searching for God and His will for our lives. It’s Thursday church without all the formalities of church. We oftentimes begin with the questions of our group members and launch into Biblically-based discussions. We also make sure we have time for fun and games, and we’re making homemade ice cream tonight.
Depending on what we’re experiencing in life, we are all asking questions. Many of our Spirit-Driven groups play the Talking Matters game that launches us into deeper, heartfelt conversations that help deepen our knowing and loving of God, ourselves, and one another.
Tonight’s group will begin with a question that my son, Ben, asked when he was home for a visit. “Does God give us the right to consider emotions which divert us from His call or consider thoughts which convince us of that which is counter to His voice?”
Most people will tell you which side of the brain they live from. Some people are more left-brained and have logical thinking process that they use to think through and analyze situations before speaking and making decisions. Some people are more right-brained and allow their emotions and creativity to lead and guide their expressions and decision making. But when it comes to, “Thy will be done here on earth as it is in heaven,” is doing God’s will dependent upon our thoughts or our feelings?
Surely God speaks to us through our thoughts and feelings. He has a whole variety of ways that He reveals His will and plan for our lives. But what happens when we give too much weight to our thoughts or our feelings, and they dictate our decision making? As soon as I wrote this question, the Lord took my thoughts and heart to Isaiah 55:8,9 where the prophet recorded these words. “My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
How do you know when your thoughts and feelings line up with God’s will for your life? How can you tell when your thoughts and feelings run counter to His will for your life? Do you have a way of filtering out thoughts and feelings that are colliding with God’s will for you?
Here’s what I’ve noticed. When I’m walking in God’s Spirit, I sense what He’s nudging me to say and to do next. When I listen and obey, I feel a great sense of peace because I’m surrendering my will and following what His Spirit is leading me to do. When I notice that my thoughts and feelings are building a case against doing God’s will, and I’m making up excuses to avoid doing exactly what God is calling me to do, I feel discontented until my thoughts, feelings, and actions are all working in unity with God’s will.
If I need some help discerning God’s will, I’ll explore God’s Word looking for whether or not it’s consistent with what Scripture teaches. I’ll also seek out the wisdom and feedback from my father, godly friends, and God through more extended times of praying and journaling what I sense God is saying to me.
Tonight, the questions that flow from our Spirit-Driven group will likely lead to some amazing heartfelt conversations as we explore God’s will. I’m going to take a break from blogging, but I’ll leave you with a few questions to consider.
How much weight do you give your own thoughts when it comes to pursuing God’s will?
How much weight do you give your own feelings it comes to pursuing God’s will?
What are you are discerning that God is calling you to do next with your life?
What question is God asking you?