Developing Kingdom Leaders – Tom Yeakley

Come Out With Your Hands Up!

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship. 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 12:1-2 NIV

Knowing the will of God is easy, but you do one thing first.  There is a prerequisite for knowing the will of God.  You must be willing to do the will of God – to obey Him completely, first. 

Often we want the opposite.  We cry out to God for guidance  and direction, asking Him to show us what to do.  But we want more clarity so we can then decide whether we want to do His will or not.  But God has a different way.

He says that we must first surrender to doing whatever He desires, then He will show us the plans He has for us.  We must be willing to obey Him completely first, then we will know the will of God – His good, pleasing, and perfect will.  We surrender to His plans much like one who surrenders to the sheriff in the Old West who says, “Come out with your hands up!”  We lay down our lives and surrender to His complete authority over us.

The God-honoring life is always a life of faith.  He says, “My righteous ones will live by faith.” (Hebrews 10:38; Habakkuk 2:4)  A life dedicated to God will be one of daily surrender and wholehearted obedience.  We are perfectly designed to fulfill this plan, but we must commit to it first.  (Ephesians 2:10)

We can have great confidence in God’s plans because He always acts according to His character.  He is love and all He does is from this foundation.  He is sovereign over all things in His creation.  He is good and all that He does is good.  This does not mean a God-honoring life will be an easy life.  Jesus says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)  Trust Him with your future!