GoSeek God¡¦s Best for You
Various Scriptures
ACHS Chapel, November 17, 2003
Introduction
One of the dangers of speaking right after lunch is that some of you may fall asleep. But to help with that, some of the chairs have been equipped with little shock devices.
But only the chairs with blue fabric have them.
Today I want to briefly visit with you about how to seek God¡¦s best for you.
I wish that someone had talked to me about this when I was in junior and senior high. Instead, I floundered around with not knowing for sure what I wanted to do, and I ended up changing my major a couple of times in college, and then never working in a job that required the degree I did get.
I want to give you three ways to find God¡¦s best for you, and my hope is that you will walk out of here with something you can use to help you find God¡¦s best for you.
Ready? Let¡¦s go. The first way to find God¡¦s best for you is to¡K
1. Seek to know and love God more.
Most, if not all of you, have heard someone quote Jeremiah 29:11 to you:
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
But you know what the next two verses say?
12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
What I think that¡¦s saying to us is that God¡¦s plans for us become clearer as we seek God as our first priority.
You know the best way to get to know God better and love Him more? Spend time reading the Bible and praying.
Pretty simple, but that¡¦s the best way. Ask anyone in here who has loved Jesus for very long, and they¡¦ll tell you ¡V it¡¦s time in the Word of God and praying.
Jesus said we are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Well, how do you suppose we learn to do that?
Here it is ¡V the Bible and prayer. So do it.
The second way to find God¡¦s best for you is to¡K
2. Get counsel from others
Proverbs 15:22 says this:
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
Who do we get counsel or advice? At the age you¡¦re at now, there are three primary sources of God counsel:
„Ï Parents
Did you know that God gave you parents for more than just to give you a hard time? It¡¦s true!
They actually care what¡¦s best for you! Really! Okay, Danielle, stop rolling your eyes.
God put your parents here on earth for a number of reasons, and one of those reasons is to help you seek God¡¦s best for you.
„Ï Pastor
Pastors also care about you, and they¡¦re in the business of helping people develop a relationship with God that impacts every area of their life, including making decisions for school, career, and all that stuff.
Ask your pastors to help you find God¡¦s best for you. I guarantee that they¡¦ll be glad to do that.
„Ï Teachers
Aside from your parents, your teachers probably see you more than just about anybody besides your best friends.
They see you day in and day out, and they see how you respond to challenges in schoolwork and in life in general.
If you have a teacher that loves Jesus, chances are they would love to sit and listen to you, and help you find the answers you¡¦re looking for in finding God¡¦s best for you.
Under girding all this, of course, is the Bible. If your parents, pastor, and teachers love Jesus and love the Bible, chances are very good that the counsel they give you will be good.
3. Let God have his way.
Here¡¦s what I mean:
You can make all the decisions you want, but if you¡¦re not trying to find God¡¦s best plan for you, you run the risk of making wrong decisions, or the risk of having those decisions turn sour, and you¡¦re left wondering what happened.
A long time ago I learned that I need to tell God, ¡§Okay, God, You know what¡¦s best for me. Tell me what you want. I¡¦m finally listening.¡¨
And it was then that He called me to be a pastor. I could have saved myself a lot of headaches and heartaches if I would have taken the time earlier in life to listen to God.
Any adults here remember the television show, ¡§Emergency?¡¨
That was my ultra-favorite show. And at times I wish I had TV Land on my TV so I could watch it still.
But because of that show, I was planning to be a paramedic, like the guys on that show.
I thought it was really cool to use the defibrillators on guys having heart attacks and watch them go ¡§wump!¡¨ and see the people¡¦s bodies jump up from the shock.
But you know what? I can¡¦t stand the sight of blood. I can¡¦t stand watching myself get shots, and paramedics have to give shots to other people.
I would not have made a good paramedic! So it¡¦s a good thing I didn¡¦t stake all my future on being a paramedic. God had other plans for me.
Here¡¦s what James says:
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that."
Now I always say, ¡§If the Lord wills¡K¡¨
I have asked God to let me stay at this church the rest of my life. And I¡¦m planning on that happening.
But I¡¦m aware of the fact that God may not want that for me or for this church. So I¡¦m willing to let God change my plans. I¡¦m holding them loosely.
So as you look to make decisions in life regarding school, careers, and whatever else, you would do well to have the attitude that says, ¡§Here¡¦s what I plan to do, if the Lord wills it.¡¨
You know, although I took forever to be able to listen to God about what He had for me, He was able to use all that time for His benefit anyway.
The Bible says that God is in total control, and so He allowed me to go my way for a while, and now I can come to you and say, ¡§Don¡¦t do what I did.¡¨
Take the time when you are young to ask God, to seek Him, and to beg Him to help you find His best plan for you.
Take the time to get good counsel and advice from people who love you and love Jesus.
And let God have His way. You won¡¦t regret it. Let¡¦s pray.
