The deep yearning of the Christian heart is to know and do the will of God. But many believers today are plagued with uncertainty when it comes to God’s will for their lives. There may be some fear involved, after all, it takes great trust and faith to lay down one’s own desires and live out the desires of another, in this case, God’s. The fear comes from the idea of the believer having to give up the present known for the future unknown. “What is God going to ask me to do?” Where will He have me to go? What will happen to me if I lay down the safety of my own direction and control for His uncertain direction and control?” I want to encourage those that are fearful of His will by saying the safest place in this world for your soul, your life, and your family’s life is to be “smack-dab” in the center of God’s will. God is a God of infinite wisdom and He knows what ought to happen and when it ought to happen, and God’s love for us desires the very best for us. I want to add that “the very best” does not involve our comfort, but “the very best” does involve our character. So God’s will for our lives involves what is “the very best” to form us into the image of Christ, and it has the purpose of shaping our character to that of Christ’s character.
“But how can I know the will of God for me?” In order to know God’s will there first must be a willingness to do God’s will and to understand the word of God. Jesus said in John 7:17 “Those that will do the will of God shall know the doctrine that I speak of.”
Next, there needs to be a surrender to God and to His will. Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”
Then, when you are trying to discern or recognize God’s will in a particular situation, give prayerful consideration to the following three questions:
1. Does it line up with the word of God? If it is directly contradictory to His word, it is not His will.
2. What are the present circumstances trying to tell me? Are doors opening for it? Are the circumstances hindering it?
3. What is the inner witness of the Holy Spirit saying to me? Is there an abiding peace regarding it? Emotional decisions do not stand the test of time, but the leading of God does. It also brings with it the peace of God assuring the soul “this is the way, walk in it.”
Dear Christian, life is short. The book of James equates it to a vapor that appears for a little while and vanishes away. When you consider God’s will for your life ask yourself: in this brief moment of time I’ve been given, what’s my life saying to God and to those around me? Wouldn’t it be great if our lives where lives that spoke praise, thanksgiving, service and honor because we lived out His will for our lives? We would be as a sweet-smelling savor to our God and Savior. So I admonish you don’t be fearful of God’s will, embrace it with all your heart. After all, it’s His will that brings meaning to our lives.
Why do some Christians seem to easily know the will of God in their lives, while some are on a roller coaster ride of spiritual emotions? Daily I seek God’s will, seek the peace only He can give, study His word, pray for guidance and forgiveness, etc., yet my spiritual growth is stunted and there is so much unrest in my soul.
Keep praying and asking God to reveal to you the answers. He wants you to know. He doesn’t want to keep any of His children in the dark. Be willing to hear His answer.
I pray that I may be receptive to God’s will in each moment and be faithful to carry it out with my decisions and actions.
Thanks for a great post.
By the way, what if someone is doing something that lines up with the word of God, and circumstances are condusive, but the person doesn’t feel an abiding peace about it? Sometimes the lack of peace has to do with the person rather than the will of God right? How would you recommend the person proceed?
I would go to God and question why there is the lack of peace. Is it because of fear? Is it because the enemy is trying to stop me? Or, is it because God desires that I go in a different direction? The lack of peace, even though the other indicators are there, let’s me know there is something not right about the decision and I need to seek the mind of Christ to determine why His peace is not ruling my heart in the situation.