I have a question for you. How do you determine the will of God for your life? When making decisions – big and small – how do you arrive at what you believe is God’s will in a given situation? Do you believe there is only one right choice in any given situation, and that it is your job to figure out what it is? This is a myth that many of us fall prey to, but it simply isn’t true.
Truth is, God’s soverign (or decreed) will will come to pass. There are certain things God has determined will happen – and trust me, they are going to happen. There are things that God Himself fulfills and accomplishes.
But God also has a will for us. In His sovereignty, He allows us to make choices. Those choices often result in rewards or consequences – which are ours to live with. This will of God, His will for man, is clearly revealed in His Word. It is up to us whether or not we obey it.
Once, as I contemplated the will of God, I began to list, off the top of my head, what I clearly understand as His will for my life. Here are the first five things that came to mind:
- God’s will is that I love Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength – and that I love my neighbor as myself (Luke 10:27).
- God’s will is that I be sanctified (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
- God’s will is that I make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).
- God’s will is that I am generous toward those in need and that I care for the poor (Proverbs 19:17).
- God’s will is that I am unstained by the world and that I am sexually pure (James 1:27, 1 Thessalonians 4:3).
God has provided for us, in Scripture, everything we need to know about His will for our lives. If we are pursuing and living out His will as revealed in the Bible, then we are free to make choices based on our desires – where we desire to live and work, who we desire to marry (or not marry), etc. Why is this, and how can it be this simple? Anyone who is (not perfectly, but consistently and increasingly) living according to the will of God as revealed in Scripture is clearly being led by the Holy Spirit. That being said, it stands to reason that He is also leading said person as it relates to the more specific areas of life.
Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” God affects our desires when we delight in Him – and those desirses no longer originate from self-centeredness, but from God Himself. In other words, we find ourselves wanting the very things God wants for us.
There is a pressure-free way of life that emanates from this crystal clear understanding of the will of God for our lives. It is liberating. My hope and prayer is that we will enjoy this freedom as we pursue the will of God for our lives. Let’s encourage one another in this pursuit.
