How many times have you asked yourself, or you have heard others ask these questions?
What is God’s plan for my life?
How can I know God’s will for me?
These questions come naturally to Christian people. This is the implication of Romans 12:1-2.
1 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.
2 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.
In Philippians Paul writes,
3:15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.
The Psalms are filled with this theme. Psalms 25 tells us that David ask God..
4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.
Asaph says in Psalm 73,
23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.
These verses do not mean we can see the whole path of God’s will for our lives. But it does tell us that God has a plan for us and that God will lead us revealing that path one step at a time as we go forward.
Now there are some things that must be understood about God’s will. Part of His will, we will never know for it is hidden from us. But the other part of God’s will, can be revealed to us.
Deuteronomy 29:29
"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
What He does reveal is the kind of life and character we should follow that pleases Him
In the Bible one part of God’s will is that of the sovereign or efficacious will of God. This will of God is beyond anything we can fully know on earth. God’s will is absolute. It is unlimited. It is determined only by God himself. God does not consult anyone as to what to do, nor does he need help from anyone to carry out his plan. This is not to say that God does not use others. But this is not the same thing as saying God needs them. God is the self-existing one and needs no one.
The other meaning of God’s will in Scripture is the disposition of God or what pleases Him. In the Lord’s prayer is the petition which says, “Thy will be done.” This does not refer to God’s sovereign will, for if that were the case there would be no need to pray this prayer. God’s sovereign will, in this sense will always come about whether we pray for it or not. What we see in the Lord’s prayer is an asking that we may know what pleases God in our life and in the lives of others.
But how does one know what pleases God? How do you know what school to go to? How do you know whom you should marry? How do you know if you should join this church or another? How about that new job? Should you take it, or stay where you are? What is the best way to spend you money that would please God?
There are a few principles that we should follow that will help us as we seek to please God.
First is a precondition that will solve many problems if we are seeking to please God.
1) We must be willing to do God’s will, even before we know what God’s will is.
John 7:17
If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.
Jesus in a broader principle is telling us that knowing the will of God consists of being willing to do it. The problem with most of us is while we say we are seeking God’s will, we are in fact praying God will agree to our own will and bless us in what we want to do. We are then in hope and even go on to pray that God sees things our way.
This should be removed from our thoughts and be replaced with a servant’s heart. A good healthy prayer life and daily Bible study is the best way to over come this self-seeking notion. Christian fellowship is another support we must use.
Romans 12 1-2 is clear that we have that servent heart, but are we willing to do it?
This leads is to our second principle.
2) God has revealed what pleases Him in scripture.
God will not reveal the name of the person we must marry to please Him, but Scripture does reveal what type of person we should look for in marriage. It does not tell us if we should marry Bob or Joe, but it does tell us we should not live with either before we are married. It does not tell us to be a doctor or a lawyer, but it does tell us we are not to be a thief or a prostitute. The Bible gives us guidelines in which to operate. Romans 12:1-2, tells us that anything that contributes to our spiritual growth in holiness is God’s will for us. This means that anything that hinders that growth is not God’s will.
1 Thessalonians 4:3
For this is the will of God, your sanctification:
Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
At times Christians will see difficulty in life and think maybe they are not in God’s will. This however should not be the only consideration of trials you face. At times God brings trials that we may be blessed in the end. If you are in God’s will that placed you in that position to face those trials, the best advice I can give you is to stay put. Be still and know your God, for He is trying to teach you something. Do not miss the blessing by running from difficulty into a life that seems filled with ease. If you stay put and in his holy Word, and you stay on your knees in prayer, in God’s own time He will reveal not only his will but the meaning of that trial you face.
As we look to apply this principle to things rather then people there are good guides to follow here. You need to ask yourself, “am I using things or are things using me?”
Take food for instance. Food is good for you and is needed. But if not controlled it is bad for you and can harm your health. The same can be said of drugs, sex, cars, houses, sports and much, much more. It is God’s will for you to live life in control.
1 Corinthians 10:23
All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up.
This brings us to our last principle.
3) When wanting to do God’s will but not knowing which door to walk though, we are to choose the best.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things
I want you to notice that the context is not just talking about Christian virtues although it is clear it includes them. However, we can also rejoice in the best of the arts and good literature. We can thrill to great music. We can love beautiful architecture. These are things that God has blessed man with.
Ecclesiastes tells us we are to enjoy the blessings that God gives us, but not to worship them nor get attached to them for when we do get attached to them, in the end they will bring emptiness. When the choice is in art or music God wants you to choose the best of those choices. One that is excellent and shows honor. Stride for excellence in all that you do.
With these guidelines we can understand and know God’s will. God’s will can be found in all of our lives. With each choice, in all areas of life, God’s will is there to guide us. We know it only when we are close to God in our prayer life and Bible study. We know it only when we carry a desire to serve Him in our life.
Is this your desire to know and do the will of God? I pray that it is.