How do I know the will of God?

[antony1138]

How does one know the will of God? A simple question I know, but then again, not so simple.

Born and raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I left at the age of 36 on doctrinal grounds, and was eventually excommunicated. I was baptized a Baptist 3 years later. I later moved to China, where I am now married and living happily. Being isolated from my Baptist brothers and sisters and reading God’s Word on my own, I slowly, slowly came to the conclusion that Baptist doctrines may not be as sound as I once thought. After reading and listening to much Catholic material, e-books/EWTN/Bible Christian Society mp3s etc, I am thinking the Catholic way may be the solid, sure and undivided way to go. But my questions are these;

1. How do I know my thinking is sound? Everybody says that they are right and that their Church is right! Everybody!
2. If Baptists have it wrong, who is right?
3. If I am to go down the Catholic route, how do I know that I am right in my decision, (leaving the Baptists would be a repeat of leaving the Jehovah’s Witnesses, another lonely start over!)
4. I only want to serve the God of the Bible, but why has simple worship of my God become so complicated and divided? Surely Jesus didn’t want this!
5. How do I know the will of God?

I am attending Mass each Sunday in China, although it is all in Chinese and I’m not able to grasp it all. The chance of me meeting an English priest to discuss all this is impossible, and I also must follow the laws of the country I live in and love.

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

First of all, you don’t sound like you regret leaving the Jehovah’s Witnesses. You learned some good from them and left when you needed something more. So with the Baptists! Neither the JWs nor the Baptists were ALL wrong. You found some truth in each of them. What you are searching for seems to be more truth. There’s nothing wrong with that. So you feel lonely for a while; growing in the knowledge of Truth is certainly worth it. He continues to lead you.

You are to find that the fullness of truth lies in the only Church that Jesus ever founded over two thousand years ago. Just reading the Church Fathers will show you an early Church that far more resembles the current Catholic Church than any of the churches you have been a part of—complete with sacraments and liturgy. Just continue to ask the Lord to lead you and He will.

Go slow and pray as you have been doing. I encourage you to continue to attend Mass. Check out our library here (catholic.com/library) for more info and answers. Also, check out the Church Fathers: newadvent.org/fathers/ I will remember you during my daily hour before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Feel free to contact me privately here by clicking on my name above.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.