Have you ever wondered, “What is God wanting me to do?” in a particular situation? This question often comes up in our relationships with others. Just what is it that God wants me to do? In our desire to do the right thing, don’t we often say things like “let me know if there is anything I can do,” or “My prayers and thoughts are with you?”

Have you ever heard someone say, “I don’t want your prayers or thoughts I want….” To a non-Christian, prayers and thoughts have no meaning. So how should we reach out to the unchurched in a meaningful way? Some would suggest that we should simply treat others as we would want to be treated. This is a bible approach as stated in Matthew 7:21 “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Clearly this is an important principle if it sums up the law. This principle, however, only works if we have God’s spirit. Without the spirit of God, we will still tend to selfishly do what we want and not what the other person needs.

A Valuable Framework

The “Golden Rule” serves as a valuable framework for thinking about ethical behavior, but it’s crucial to recognize its limitations and apply it with sensitivity, empathy, and a willingness to understand the unique needs and perspectives of others.

The spirit of God is described to us in Galatians 5:22. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Every Christian should have memorized this verse because it describes the attitude we are to have with each other as God’s children and it directs us in our relationships with others.

Disciples of Christ

Those who want to be disciples of Christ cannot have the spirit of God some of the time or most of the time, we must have it all the time. Because we are human, we will not keep it perfectly, but we should settle for nothing less than perfection and when we mess up, we repent and start again. If we truly repent, the time between mess-ups gets longer and longer until we can honestly say “for me to live is Christ.” Our will aligns with God’s will, and we no longer have to question what God wants us to do because we will know.