“I don’t know what God wants me to do with my life.” “I’m not sure I’m in the center of God’s will.” “What if I miss what God has for me?”
Christians often talk about God’s will like it’s the rare and elusive Blue-Tailed Eastern Moon Moth that might suddenly flit out of the forest the moment they set their nets down, and escape them forever.
We wish God would just speak audibly to us. “Go to art school and become an Abstract Expressionist,” “Move to Mozambique,” or “Marry Lou Lou.” We want signs in the sky or in the grease stain on the driveway.
But if we pray and trust him, God promises to guide us.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you” (PS 32.8). “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1.5).
Simple. Ask and you’ll receive.
We make God’s will so complicated. Like the young engaged man who asked me:
“What if I marry the wrong person?”
“Are you attracted to her?” I asked.
“Yeah!”
“Did you pray about the relationship?”
“For weeks.”
“Did you get counsel?”
“From my pastors, parents, and D.A. Carson.”
“Does she have godly character?”
“If she were any more godly she’d be raptured.”
“Then she’s the one for you.”
“But what if we get married and someone else comes along who’s more attractive?”
“It will probably happen. But the one you marry is the one God has for you.”
God’s will isn’t a deep, dark mystery we have to solve.
He isn’t playing hide and seek or throwing out red herrings to throw us off the track. “Aha!” we can almost hear him saying, “You thought I was calling you to be a nurse, but I really wanted you to teach music. Now you’ve got to settle for plan B.”
Here’s how to know God’s will. It’s sitting on your coffee table. Or in your backpack. It’s there in your Bible.
Sorry to be so unspectacular. But knowing God’s will is just this simple: Open Bible. Read. Do what it says. In fact, at times the Bible comes right out and says, “This is God’s will.” For example:
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor (1 TH 4.3-4).
Here’s God’s will: grow in holiness and purity. Don’t selfishly use others. Increase in self-control.
But that sounds like effort. Like raking leaves. We’d rather pull God’s will from a fortune cookie than do the hard work of sanctification. Here’s another verse:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 TH 5.16-18).
Learn to pray and praise God in every situation and he’ll let you know if you should move to Mozambique. Lay down your life for others and he’ll direct your career. Take care of the depth of your character and Christ will take care of the breadth of your ministry. Read your Bible, pray, devote yourself to a local church, serve, share the gospel any way you can. Jesus won’t let you miss his will.
photo by Stuck in Customs
Superbly put Mark!
A few of us have been reading Kevin DeYoung’s book ‘Just Do Something’ and discussing it online. This is pretty much the same message.
So liberating to the Christian life!
Thanks Gary,
Yes, Kevin DeYoung’s book is outstanding. I highly recommend it.
Thanks Mark! That was encouraging this morning as I’m in bed, too weak to move. I was struggling this morning with “why is this path of physical suffering God’s will for me.” Thanks for the reminder that He doesn’t throw things like this into our path to confuse or discourage us but that instead I can know even though there is so much right now that just doesn’t make sense that I can know God is for me. And because of that I can have the hope to rejoice. And to just keep trusting in Him to continue to faithfully guide me
Hi Emily,
I’m so sorry to hear how sick you are today. I will pray for you. I do assure you, God is for you, and even through your suffering he is producing an eternal weight of glory for you. It brings God so much glory when his people continue to trust and praise him through affliction, like you are doing.
Hey Mark,
Great post today, as usual! You’re right God’s will is not some elusive thing that we have to figure out, it’s already been figured out for us, as you said it’s right there in the Word!
No matter where we are, we can trust that we are where God wants us to be. His will is not some dot that I have to be on. God is so much bigger than our finite minds can fathom and He will receive glory no matter where we are or what we are doing, He is in control!
I’m so thankful that God’s will is not for me to figure out, because He has already done all the figuring out, all I have to do is listen and follow Him!
Thanks for such an encouraging thought today, I needed this as I just started my first day on my new job today! Please pray that I’ll be a good witness and that I’ll be able to learn my job quickly!
Blessings
Ron Reffett
On of my favorite quotes is: “Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt any situation you believe to be the will of God.”
I often have to remind my friends (an myself) that as long as you are faithfully following the Savior and pursuing Him in obedience, He will direct you if and when He wants to change course. Thank you for the reminder that Jesus will always show us His will (if we’re pursuing Him) and wherever I am right now is His will for me!
Hey Ron,
Great to hear that you got a new job! I’ve prayed that God would provide for you. You’re right – we don’t have to try to figure out God’s will. He’s more interested in us knowing it than we are.
Hey Yeller,
Great quote! Live to the hilt! Sounds like “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” You’re so right – if we pursue God, he will direct our paths.
I don’t agree I think sometimes we are in the Lord’s way and that is why we don’t hear Him. consider this;
The Following is from David Wilkerson’s daily devotional on the World Challenge website;
PRIDE AND THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT
Let me distinguish clearly between pride and humility.
A humble person is not one who thinks little of himself, hangs his head and says, “I’m nothing.” Rather, he is one who depends wholly on the Lord for everything, in every circumstance. He knows the Lord has to direct him, empower him and quicken him—and that he’s dead without that!
A proud person, on the other hand, is one who may love God in a fashion, but he acts and thinks on his own. At its root, pride is simply independence from God, and the proud person makes decisions based on his own reasoning, skill and abilities. He says, “God gave me a good mind, and he expects me to use it. It’s silly to ask him for direction in every detail of life.”
This person is unteachable because he already “knows it all.” He might listen to someone who is higher in authority or better known than himself—but not to someone he thinks is inferior.
Not one word a proud person receives is of God! It is impossible for him to judge righteous judgment—impossible to speak God’s mind—because the Holy Spirit is not present in him to bear witness to truth. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12).
Pride is independence—humility is dependency. The humble Christian is one who makes no move, no decision, without counsel from the Lord. The Bible says the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord, but he cannot order the steps of an independent spirit. This is all to say—God wants full control—give it to him.
“God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6).