“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is‐ His good, pleasing, and perfect will.”
Romans 12:2
As we interact with people throughout our week, sometimes it’s easy to notice a difference between those who have peace, security, hope, and joy flowing from their lives, and those who seem anxious, fearful, empty, and stressed out. Many times this disparity comes down to the simple matter of whether that person is operating their life in the will of God.
So what is the will of God and how do we make sure that we are living in it?
Defining God’s Will for Your Life
“Out of the will of God there is no such thing as success;
in the will of God there cannot be any failure.”
~Author Unknown
God has a specific plan for your life that will bring you the greatest blessing and fulfillment—in other words, God’s will for your life.
On the macro level, He has given all of us commands that, when obeyed, will keep our life on the right track (Eccl. 12:13‐14, James 4:17). On the micro level, the Bible doesn’t tell us who to marry, which job to take, or how much money to put into our savings account each month. So how do we survive the day‐to-day, specific decisions that life throws at us?
God has given us a powerful set of tools to help us discern the right path to take when we have a decision to make:
- The Holy Spirit, who guides us to the truth (John 16:13‐15, Psalm 143:10)
- The Holy Spirit also empowers you to break free from sin and its destructive consequences (Romans 8:1‐2, 12‐13)
- The Holy Bible, which gives us direction (Ps. 119:105, 2 Tim. 3:16‐17)
- “Prayer partners”, who can pray for you to be filled with the knowledge of His will in order to walk in His ways (Colossians 1:9‐10)
- Spiritual counselors, who help us recognize and follow His plans (Proverbs 15:22)
If you are wrestling with a big decision, you may find that you have more than one option that will bring God glory and fit with Biblical principles. How can it be possible for more than one alternative to be “in God’s will for my life”? Theologians call this the permissible will of God. In other words, God created you with free will and He expects you to exercise it within His boundaries.
The bottom line is that we need to be faithful in using the tools that God has given us, and He will lead us onto a path that brings Him glory.
Our Response
“Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God;
let Your Spirit lead me on level ground.”
Psalm 143:10
To put a spin on Dave Ramsey’s famous saying at the end of his radio show each weekday: there’s ultimately only one way to live a life of peace, and that’s to walk daily with the Prince of Peace, Christ Jesus. This too is the first step to knowing God’s will for your life. If you are not focusing on God and making Him the top priority in your life (Matthew 22:37‐38, Proverbs 3:5‐6), then you won’t be tuned in with His Spirit when you need to know the next step to take in life. The most important step is earnestly seeking Him (through prayer and reading His Word) day by day.
Another thing to keep in mind is that we are on this earth for the sole purpose of bringing God glory (I Cor. 10:31). Knowing God’s will becomes a lot easier when you keep that in perspective. We have daily choices to make in life with, at times, an overwhelming number of options. It is helpful to merely seek out the choice that will bring Him the most glory and have an eternal impact, and then be willing to follow through in obedience.
