“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)
When most people think of Francis of Assisi, they recall him as the strange fellow who preached to the birds and embraced a life of poverty. Born in 1181 as the son of a wealthy silk merchant, Francis renounced his life of wealth and privilege and spent his life serving Christ. He founded the well-known Franciscan Order, a group committed to following and preaching the gospel of Jesus.
We might think there is little in common between this medieval friar and us, but I’d like to share a story with you from Francis’s life that gives us some real insight into how we go about seeking God’s will in our lives.
Early in his ministry, Francis was conflicted. He was unsure, at this point, whether God was calling him to preach or devote himself entirely to prayer. How Francis sought the answer to this dilemma is a lesson for all of us when it comes to seeking God’s will in our lives.
In The Little Flowers of St. Francis, we read these words -
He wanted very much to know which of these (praying or preaching) would please our Lord Jesus Christ most. And as the holy humility that was in him did not allow him to trust in himself or in his own prayers, he humbly turned to others in order to know God’s will in this matter.1
Francis asked for the prayers of Sister Clare and Brother Silvester to help him determine God’s will. Both of these godly servants of Christ heard God saying, “He wants you to go about the world preaching because God did not call you for yourself alone but also for the salvation of others.”
When he heard this, we read that the “hand of the Lord came over Francis,” and he immediately recognized the counsel of his fellow Christians as God’s Word for him. Like “a bolt of lightning” Francis set out, at once, to preach.2
During my years as a pastor, I’ve been asked one question more than any other, and that is, “How do I know God’s will for my life?” This story of Francis of Assisi gives us some real insight into the answer to that question.
Did you notice in the quote above that Francis possessed a “holy humility” that kept him from trusting in himself or in his own prayers? He was blessed to have Christian brothers and sisters he could turn to for guidance. The result was when he heard God’s will through his Christian companions; he immediately recognized that it was, indeed, God’s will.
All of us need in our lives safeguards against our own will and desires. It’s easy to be led astray by our wants and wishes rather than the leadership of the Holy Spirit. This is the reason we need others in our lives who will pray with and for us and help us as we seek God’s will.
We cannot go it alone. We need each other. More than anything else, this is what Jesus meant when he said that where two or three gather together in His name, His presence will be among them.
I want to encourage you to seek friendships with other believers whose hearts are wholly committed to seeking and doing God’s will in our lives.
In Christ,
Dan
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Devotional Classics, edited by Richard J. Foster and James Bryan Smith, p.295.
Ibid, p.296.