Following the Example of Jesus

Jesus was committed to doing God’s will. This was the motivation that brought Him down from heaven to earth; it shaped and directed the entire course of His earthly life and ministry, and it culminated in the sacrifice of His own body on the cross.

But how can we apply this pattern of Jesus to our own lives? I want to suggest to you that there are three main steps. The first step I would describe this way: the will to do God’s will. In John 7, verse 17, Jesus says this:

“If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether My teaching comes from God or whether I speak on My own.” (NIV)

The word there translated as "choose" is actually the word 'to will'. If anyone chooses to do God’s will or if anybody wills to do God’s will, he will find out.

I think many people underestimate the function of the will in our spiritual lives. A lot of people go by impressions and feelings and promptings. But I want to assure you that the thing that will really determine where you will go in life will be the exercise of your will. That is the decisive factor. You can’t lead a right life if you don’t will to lead a right life.

And so Jesus sets before us this challenge, which is also an invitation, to will to do God’s will. Without that, it will never happen. It’ll never happen by just inspiration or by wonderful preaching or by somebody praying for you – there must come a point in your life where you make your personal decision. 'Decision' is a key word. You have to 'decide': "I am going to do God’s will." Jesus says, "If anyone wills to do God’s will, he will find out whether My teaching comes from God."

It’s important to understand that we don’t find out and then will, but rather that we will and then find out. A lot of people have got the order wrong. "God, show me the whole thing. I want to understand first, and then I’ll decide to do what You tell me." No! That’s not how it works. I’ve said, more than once, God does not scratch an itching intellect. If you just want to know because you want to know, out of intellectual curiosity, without the willingness to commit, God will not reveal it to you. But, if you will to do God’s will, then understanding, insight, and revelation will follow.

Let me put it this way – commitment leads to understanding; not understanding to commitment. You don’t first understand God’s will, and then commit yourself to do it. You commit yourself to do God’s will, and to your committed mind, God begins to unfold His will. So, there is a point in our lives, for every one of us, where we have to make a vital decision. My decision is to do God’s will – full stop. Not if, or perhaps. That’s not commitment. I decide to do the will of God. That’s the first step.