Finding the Will of God

Too many times Christians walk around without purpose.  The getting saved part was easy enough but now it seems like we have to go at it and really prove ourselves.  Many times we join every group in our church and sign up to help everywhere we "see a need".  By running around frantically we think we are doing God's work, and granted there are those in the church who are called to be where they are at, doing exactly what they are doing; but many of us are just doing stuff in an effort to prove we can be the top Christian.  We go to work to what the church calls our "worldly jobs" and then the real work is supposedly supposed to be inside the church.  In an effort to produce the idea that we are close to God we keep up the works related mentallity that in order to stay saved we need to stay busy.  While on the outside we may look like we have it all together by being on the church softball team, and a sunday school teacher, and in the choir, oh and don't forget being the church janitor, inside we are crying out to know God's will.  The bible has many answers to many of the problems that we face as a church today.  God's will for our lives is summed up in three verses, thats right three very short verses.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB  (16)  Rejoice always;  (17)  pray without ceasing;  (18)  in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  God's will in scripture seems too simple for us; rejoice, pray and give thanks, that can't be right, where is the part about being the missionary to Estonia, or tithing all of the time, am I missing something here.  You can start at verse (12) of the chapter and learn a little more about Christian conduct, but these three scriptures wrap up the will of God very nicely.  No matter what happens God wants our focus always on the work of Christ.  It is only when our entire life is centered on the finished work of Christ on the cross and the New life that He lives inside of us through the ressurection that we can truly live God's will.  Understanding that we are to look through our circumstances with the lens of faith will lead us in the will of God.  Even when we think things look bad, we must simply rejoice, pray and give thanks because we know that whatever God is bringing us through is always for our good and the for the Glory of His son.