There are times in our Christian experience when we don’t have clear direction as to what our next move should be. Individually, these can be very difficult times for us. Corporately, they can be very trying indeed. Many believers who are living surrendered lives yielded to God’s service are absolutely willing to act on direction once God gives it, but sometimes find it very frustrating to wait on His direction when He appears to be silent. In these trying times we often say that we are seeking the Lord's will. Sometimes we are. Sometimes, if we are honest, we are probably just copping out. If we are truly seeking God’s will, we can take heart, it can be found.

Ephesians 5:17 exhorts us not to “be unwise”, then commands us to “understand what the will of God is”. Well, what is it? 1 Thessalonians 4:3 is explicit about Gods will. It says, “This is the will of God, your sanctification.” When Jesus was praying in the garden of Gethsemane (John 17:17) just prior to his arrest and trials, He prayed to God that He would sanctify them (meaning us—all of Jesus followers, then and now) by His truth; His Word is Truth. In times of waiting, we must humbly concentrate effort towards Biblical spiritual disciplines. Confession of sin to God, personal prayer, corporate prayer, fasting, and above all spending time listening, reading and studying His Word, all the while consciously yielding our wills to His. Our willingness to take action based on what He reveals will tune our hearts to hear Him further.

As to His will, God has given us clear direction in the general sense in two ways. His will for our lives is our own personal sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3) as stated above, but it is also the evangelization of the whole world (2Peter 3:9 and 1Timothy 2:1-4). Our earnest prayers should be working towards both of these ends. Inwardly focused on allowing God to make us more like Jesus (sanctification) and outwardly focused on bringing in the outsiders who do not know Him (evangelization). God does not want for anyone to perish but all to come to everlasting life. The Church is Jesus’ continuing earthly body. In John 17, He prayed also that we would be one just as He and the Father were One. Unity is very important. We should work together in times of waiting to achieve the revealed will of God. Being divisive is one of the worst things that an individual can do to thwart the will of God in the local church. As iron sharpens iron we should keep each other accountable for our own mutual sanctification. As the body of Christ we should be about doing His mission, sharing the message of God’s love and forgiveness available in Christ alone with a lost and dying world.

If we are faithful to carry out God’s will in the general sense, He will reveal what the next temporal decision should be. Take the time to draw closer to him in the waiting. That is one "next move" you will never regret.