"I would give my life to the Lord, but I am afraid." a perplexed teenager told Pastor Wiersbe at a youth conference.

"What are you afraid of?" Pastor Wiersbe asked.

"I'm afraid God will ask me to do something dangerous!"

Wiersbe replied, "The dangerous life is not in the will of God, but out of the will of God. The safest place in the world is right where God wants you."

I have had similar conversations, not only with youth , but also with adults who are afraid to completely surrender to the will of the Lord. It may be helpful for us to be reminded that the will of God comes from the heart of God and God's will is an expression of His love, so why should we think we have reason to be afraid.? In the passage I want us to examine this morning we see three attitudes toward the will of God.

I. Ignore

Have you considered who James was originally addressing? Apparently, it was people who were engaged in conversations regarding business deals. We see no evidence here that they were seeking God's direction or even praying about their decisions. Do we seek God's direction all through our lives - regarding what we study, the friends with whom we associate, guys and gals we date, who we marry, having a family, our career, our job, money management, our homes, retirement, etc.? James briefly makes four arguments revealing the foolishness of ignoring the will of God.

A. The complexity of life.
Buying, selling, and getting gain may sound simple, but in fact it may sometimes be complex. We may make many decisions, some that seem quite simple, but there may be many factors involved in some of them. Some decisions may have a crucial effect on our lives. Focusing on God's purpose may help us see the detail begin to make sense.

B. The uncertainty of life.
James 4:14 is related to Proverbs 27:1. James wrote of businessmen that were planning ahead a year, but they did not know what the next day would bring. Think of the economic uncertainty that we have faced this past year and how it has likely affected all of us in some ways.

It is possible that James may have also had in mind the parable Jesus told of a farmer who had a bumper crop, too big for his barns. His answer was to build bigger barns to have great security for the future. He did not realize the uncertainty of his life that came to an abrupt end that very night.

C. The brevity of life.
That story of Jesus obviously dealt with the brevity of life as well. James asked, "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and vanishes. In comparison to eternity, life is but a vapor. James may have borrowed this picture from the book of Job where we read numerous verses on this idea. "Our days are like a shadow." Job 8:9. Man that is born of woman is of a few days. Job 14:1. Life is too brief to waste. We should invest our lives in things that are eternal like a teenage girl named Jayne did.

While Jayne was in the hospital for surgery there was another girl her age across the hall and they had several conversations. The morning that Jayne was discharged she had left her room to get a cast. On her way back to her room she stopped by to say good bye to Mary. Jayne said, "As I wobbled back to my room, I stopped across the hall to show Mary my newest. But the bed was empty, and they told me she had left that morning. Only when I got home did my mother tell me that Mary had passed away! I had talked to her about Christ, although she seemed indifferent at the time and said she had heard all that religion."

But a few days after the funeral her mom came to see me. "I want you to know," she said, "what Mary told me before she went into a coma." She told me that you and she had talked about Christ, and everything was okay."

This is a reminder of the brevity of life. Are you prepared to meet God for eternity? Do your family and friends know Jesus?

D. The frailty of man.
Our boasting may be a means of covering up our weakness. Thomas a Kempis wrote, "Man proposes, but God disposes." However Solomon said it like this years earlier. The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. Proverbs 16:33

II. Disobey

This attitude is that of those who know at least something of the will of God, but willfully, deliberately choose to disobey it, "I would rather do it my way." "I know more about this than God." What a foolish attitude, possibly worse than ignoring. We may recall these words from II Peter 2:21. ²¹It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.

We might ask, why would people deliberately disobey the will of God?

A. Pride. Some like to boast that they are the master of their own fate, the captain of their soul. Sometimes those who have accomplished many wonderful things get to thinking that they can do anything without God.

B. Ignorance of the nature of God's will may be another reason people disobey God's will. They may think that they can may their choice to accept or reject God's instructions without consequences. In their ignorance there are people that also think that God is the divine killjoy and that following the will of God will not bring joy and lasting happiness. How wrong they are.

III. Obey

"If the Lord will…" should not only be a statement on our lips, but a consistent attitude of our heart. Recall these words of Jesus, "My food, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. John 4:34.

Listen to these words of Paul regarding the will of God: "But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have." ⁷"I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits." I Corinthians 4:19; 16:7 It sounds to me like Paul believed that the will of God empowered and strengthened him to be the person God wanted him to be.

Having studied science it is quite clear that the universe God created operated according to physical laws. When we choose to cooperate with these laws they work for us. If we choose not to cooperate with these laws they work against us. That is pretty simple. E.g. building flying

When we choose to obey God's will for our lives we are set free to become all that God wants us to become. God's will for our lives is general and specific.

It is God's will and desire for all of us to follow Him, to make the choice to obey Him and live in right relationship with Him. It is God's will that we live according to His teaching, doing what is pleasing to the Lord and avoiding conduct that would have negative consequences. This is the general will of God.

Along with this, as we grow in our relationship with God we may discover God's specific will for our lives. God's will for you is not only general, but is also tailor made to fit your personality, your gifts, your abilities, your needs.

Conclusion:

Don Mooman, a football all American planned to play with the Rams - but planned if the Lord wants me to. He sensed God directing him to enter the pastral ministry and Don obeyed.

Cazzie Ruseel, a basketball All-American planned to continue to play basketball, if the Lord wants me to, and that is where God wanted him to stay. He became known for witness to his faith, his disciplined practice and his tremendous enthusiasm. He said, "The money, the fame, the popularity… all these are transient and will pass with time. But faith is permanent. To live with God in this life is to live with Him in the next, and they haven't minted enough money to water down my faith the slightest degree."

Last November Russell, who is now coaching at Savannah College of Art and Design said, "People ask me what I'm going to do," Russell said. "I'm not really concerned with what I'm going to do. I'm going to pray about it and ask the Lord what do you have in store for me, if it's meant for me to go fulltime in the ministry or meant for me to coach some more."

God really desires the very best for each of His children. Do you believe that as I do? The will of God is not a bitter medicine that we must take.

I believe that one of the keys of a fulfilled life is for us to delight in doing what God wants us to do. Then we will enjoy God's blessings. Please note that this does not mean that our lives will be easier, but they will be more rewarding.

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