Page 132 - First Steps 2023

ultimatum, or to bully us into compliance. But with God, obedience leads
to freedom…and spiritual safety.
Consider this passage…
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee

from you” (James 4:7).

The Greek word for submit means “to order.” When we submit to
God we order our lives according to his will and purposes. We no longer
insist on our independence and instead seek God’s will in our decisions

and actions.

Pause to talk about this together: On a scale of 1 to 10,
how independent would people who know you well say you are?
And what story from your life might they tell to illustrate why they
answer as they do?
Talk about that with your discipler before moving on.

Independence is a prized value—but can be a stumbling block for fol-
lowers of Jesus. That’s because it doesn’t leave much room for doing the
will of anyone else…including God.
Don’t fall into the independence trap. In the Kingdom of God, de-
pending on God is the value to cultivate. Doing what God wants is the
path to freedom.

4. Discovering God’s will is incremental.

God’s will for your life is seldom revealed in one burst of insight and
inspiration. Rather, it’s revealed gradually, like a picture slowly coming
into sharper focus.
Part of the reason is that you’re better able to discern God’s will as
you grow closer to him—and that takes time.
Plus, God speaks to you in many ways—through Scripture, prayer,
people, life experiences, circumstances, and trials, among them. It may
take a while to jigsaw together what you’re learning through each of those
channels of communication.

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