Living God’s Word

You say that as long as we submit to God’s will, all our needs will be met, but when we excercise our own perogatives He begins to share some of the responsibilities with us. How do we live this out in practice?

Q. I’ve just been reading your study entitled ‘Life in the Garden’ and I have a question for you.

You say that as long as we submit to God’s will, all our needs will be met, but when we exercise our own prerogatives, He begins to share some of the responsibilities with us. How do we live this out in practice? Does it mean we are to give up on our dreams and ambitions?

Recent financial hardship means that I need to look for work. Do I get out there and look for a job or do I pray that God will provide one for me?

Thanks for taking time to answer everyone’s questions. God Bless.

A. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desire of your heart.” Romans 12:1-2 says that if you offer your whole being as a living sacrifice to God, you’ll discover what His will is for you.

Taken together it means that when you yield yourself fully to God He’ll place in your heart (cause you to want) the things He has for you and then He’ll give them to you. As a result your life might very well be different than you had planned, but it will be a dream come true for you.

Your current dreams and ambitions are based on your very limited and substantially distorted view of your capabilities and opportunities. The Lord on the other hand knows everything about you, so it’s no sacrifice to seek His will over your own. The happiest we can ever be is when we’re working where the Lord wants us and using the gifts He’s given us.

Concerning your job search, you should pray that the Lord will bring you the job that He knows is perfect for you, and then you should go looking for one. When you find something you think you’d like, ask Him if it’s the one He has chosen for you. If you feel at peace about taking it, go ahead. It you have doubts, keep looking. You may make a mistake or two along the way, but the Lord will reward your faithfulness, and turn any lemons you give Him into lemonade.