The Holy Spirit is good about being my rumble strip when I drift too far left or right. It’s keeping to the straight and narrow by knowing and obeying the personal will of God for me that gives me so much trouble. What is God’s will for my life? Most of us want to know the answer to that question, some of the time, along with avenues to opt out when we are inconvenienced. Is that a confession? Seriously, I am writing to give Henry Blackaby’s perspective for answering this age old question.

In his Bible study “Experienceing God”, Blackaby proposes that asking to know God’s will for our lives is the wrong question. He says we should ask simply to know God’s will, then adjust our lives to do His will. How do we know the will of God? He says to find where God is working and join Him. Blackaby’s perspective puts our focus on God and not on us.

“Last on the list and certainly not the least is “willingness to learn.” This, in all probability, is the most important characteristic of a leader … any leader. Willingness to learn is really about a mindset that avails itself to discovery. If great leadership is marked by what they accomplish and contribute to the progress of a society, a church, or group, no other quality will have a greater impact on leadership than a willingness to learn. A leader willing to learn is open to discovery and will seek new, innovative, approaches to problems. A leader willing to learn is also open to self-discovery and feedback and willing to make personal changes that will contribute to their growth and development as a person and leader and to the growth and improvement of others. Willingness to learn is absolutely crucial and a fundamental requirement for anyone leading a discovery process such as the ministry and leadership development process.

Likewise, a lack of this quality (unwillingness to learn) will be the greatest hindrance to effective leadership. A leader unwilling to learn will lack many of the other qualities that define an effective leader.”