The Bible says if we do not understand God’s will we are unwise.
“Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” – Ephesians 5:17
Apparently we have a lot of wisdom-seekers in Christianity since everyone is asking for God’s will for their life.
When I was younger I would also pray for God’s will and “perfect plan for my life”. When I didn’t get a clear sign in the mail, I did what I thought was best anyway.
Nowadays, I know God’s will and as a result I doubt less, have more confidence, and have a clear picture of what God wants from me.
Not God’s Will but Mine
What I learned was that God’s will is right in front of us if we would read the scripture, but it is not the response most people want.
“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:” – Ephesians 1:9
God’s will is in Jesus Christ, and people being in him (Col 1:27-28). When Christians ask to know God’s will what they are really asking is for God’s opinion about their circumstances, as if he were a personal career counselor.
“Dear God, I feel like I am not going anywhere in life, and I would really like to do something I enjoy. Can you give me a great opportunity?”
Actually, God already has a purpose: his own purpose.
God’s Will
God’s will changes in the Bible as his operation with humanity changes. When the Lord revealed to Paul that he has counted the whole world in unbelief his will boiled down to two things:
“[God] will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:4
If you have trusted the gospel you have already done half of God’s will. The other half includes a lifelong process of you coming to a knowledge of the truth. This requires continual study, prayer, and fellowship (2 Tim 2:15)!
When the word of truth becomes part of your inner man you gain wisdom. You learn skills to teach other people. You are equipped to live according to God’s purpose in a time when the days are evil.
Easier Said than Done
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18
It is hard to do God’s will sometimes, but at least we can understand it.
True thanksgiving comes from a grateful heart for what God has accomplished on our behalf. We owe him our life, a life of thanksgiving in every circumstance.
“And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” – 2 Corinthians 5:15
The Bible says we should not live unto ourselves. Yet, this seems to be the motive behind why people continually ask for God’s will.
The expectation is to receive a personal life assessment or road map from God’s divine job bank. The complaint is that God’s word does not give specific answers about our circumstances. It doesn’t address the way we see ourselves going.
Well, perhaps God is telling us something about the way we seek his will:
“For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” – Phil 2:21
We can know God’s will, now for the hard part: doing it.
Article Index Published: January 19, 2011
Last Modified: October 22, 2016