A big question continues to occupy the mind of many Christians. What is the will of the Lord for my life? On various levels, from lifetime direction to daily decisions, many Christians continue to wrestle with knowing the answer. There are six common hindrances that can stop us before we start when we seek to understanding God's will. If we can get them out of the way to begin with, then we will be well on our way to further clarity in knowing His will for our lives. May the Lord bless you to know and fulfill the good plans of the Lord for your life that we call "His will" as you examine your heart in light of these things.

1. Fear

Fear of what the will might be. Fear we won't like it. Fear we can't do it. Fear we won't know it. Fear of what others may think. Any kind of fear that keeps us from partaking of what the Lord has for us is tormenting. Fear resists our progress. We have a hard time doing things that we are afraid of. If we don't face up to our fears we will learn to live within the borders of them. John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment." Knowing that God loves us with a perfect love (and that He desires the best for us) will cast out any fear that would keep us from wanting to hear about His will for our lives. If you have been afraid, confess it to the Lord. Ask Him to fill that same area with His love.

2. Lies

Often the will of the Lord is misrepresented by our own unbelieving thoughts and by the lies of the devil. Sometimes our own thoughts will lie to us about the truth of God's purpose. The strength of these thoughts come from our carnal mind. Our carnal mind is an enemy of the will of God. Then there is the devil. The devil always lies against the truth. He will go to great lengths to lie against the blessings of the will of God. He started in Eden and hasn't stopped. We must choose to cast down every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5), whether it comes from our own minds or the devils lies. Pray that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, will reveal any lies you have been listening to. Pray He will convince us of the truth. The truth of the matter is that the will of God is good for our lives.

3. Unbelief

We must approach God in faith, knowing that He will reward us if we diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Hearing from the Lord (another mystery to many) is not a matter of trying to believe that we can hear from Him, but it is a matter that He knows how to communicate to us. (John 10:27) If we "are wanting" to hear, then we have ears to hear. To hear about the will of the Lord for our life is a matter of faith in God, not in ourselves. The Lord will always reveal His will to those that are open and waiting before Him in faith. Unbelief will rob us of knowing with understanding the will of God. Confess any unbelief and put your faith in God.

4. Ignorance

One of the best ways to process through knowing the will of the Lord for our life comes from knowing the Bible, the Word of God. The more of this great treasure we have in us, the more the Holy Spirit has the language to communicate with us through it. (James 1:18) Don't expect to know the details of God's will without a good well rounded knowledge of the written Word of God. The Bible is the place to start. In it is the will of God for all Christians. As we give ourselves to the revealed will of God in the Bible for all believers, we will be ready to receive the revealed will of God for our individual lives. The answers are in the Book. (Colossians 3:16-17)

5. Rebellion and Stubbornness

If we are stubbornly resisting the right the Lord has to govern our lives, then we are in great need to confess our self-willed, egotistical and selfish ideas as sin before the Lord. How could we possibly expect the Lord to open up the good treasure of His will to us if we are basically rebellious and have a hard time submitting to God's authority? Allow the Lord to examine your heart to see if there be any such thing there. Then deal with it through earnest confession and repentance, knowing that this sin is basically telling God NO! I will do my own thing in my own way in my own time for my own pleasure. (1 Samuel 15:22-23) The will of the Lord is not established in those who refuse it willfully with the attitudes of their heart. It is revealed in the lives of those who have predetermined to submit and to obey it.

6. Unconfessed Sin

No surprises here. Knowing that we have sin in our life will automatically hinder us from receiving a further revelation of God's purpose. Sin separates us from our relationship with God. We're totally dependent on our relationship with Him to know the things that are freely given to us by Him. So if we have abiding sin, we are distanced from the source of the revelation. If your conscience is bothering you, then confess your sin to the Lord, repent and He will forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Then you can rest assured that you are cooperating with the will of God. It is God's will that you practice repentance from dead works and turn to God in living faith. Don't let abiding and besetting sin keep you from the goodness of the Lord and from walking in His will for your life.