1 Peter 4:2 KJV
[2] “that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.”
Our thought on this passage is simple. We are not to live our lives each day yielded to the lust of the flesh. We are to live victoriously by living in the center of God’s will. God has a plan for each one of His children. It is our responsibility to yield to whatever He has planned for us.
The will of God is always plain to those who are seeking it. We must not allow the flesh to get in the way. What I mean by this is that our flesh already has a plan for us. The flesh is very self-driven and will defy the will of God if we allow it to do so. That is why we must pray daily as our Savior taught us, “Thy will be done.” It may not always be easy to pray this prayer, but it is always what’s best.
Living in the center of God’s will for our lives brings great peace and comfort. We can rest knowing God is pleased with our walk with Him. Living in the center of God’s will does not mean we always get everything right, but it does mean that we are walking in the direction He is leading. Think about Peter in light of this truth. Peter didn’t always get everything right. He denied Jesus and went out and wept bitterly. However, he loved Christ and desired to walk in the direction He had chosen for him. The tears he shed were because he knew that he had disappointed Jesus. He may have denied the Lord, but he still wanted to do His will, and later in his life, he accomplished that.
Judas also walked with Jesus for the same amount of time Peter did. He worked alongside Peter and Jesus in the ministry. The difference between these men is that Judas was never in the center of God’s will. It was all a show because Judas was driven by his lustful flesh. He had a desire to please himself and never had a desire to please the Lord. He died lost and out of God’s will. You see, it is God’s will that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. It is God’s will for all men to go to Heaven and miss the flames of Hell. Judas kissed the door of Heaven and went to Hell.
Dear reader, are you in the center of God’s will for your life? Are you saved? If so, have you fully surrendered to follow God’s will for your life? Have you yielded your flesh to God, or are you still fulfilling your will? Where do you see yourself today? These are questions we must ask ourselves if we desire to please the Lord.