KNOWING GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE

Proverbs 3:5-6

Have you ever wondered what God’s will is for your life? God’s will for your life is more obvious than you think. God is essentially saying, “Give Me your life, and I will show you my will.” God has a plan and a purpose for your life. But to know the will of God, you must willingly present yourself to Him without reservation. Knowing God’s will is sometimes difficult because it requires patience. It’s natural to want to know all of God’s will at once, but that’s not how He works. He reveals it to us a step at a time, each move a step of faith.

We are not victims of chance, hoping that our luck holds up. God has a plan for our lives. He has a will that He wants to reveal to us. He wants to speak to us, and He does speak to us. The reason we don’t hear Him is that we haven’t learned to tune in. God does not play hide-and-seek. He is more interested in revealing His will to us than we might be in knowing it. Far too often we make hearing God’s voice and knowing His will overly mystical.

As we seek to know God’s will, we sometimes feel apprehension. In a sincere desire to please him, we can sometimes walk in fear that we will make the wrong choice about the details of our lives. Every choice becomes a paralyzing decision. For some, obsessing over life’s details leads them to make decisions in clearly unbiblical ways hinging their choices on apparent signs and coincidences. Often, we want God to give us specifics, where to work, where to live, whom to marry, what car to buy, etc. God allows us to make choices, and, if we are yielded to Him, He has ways of preventing wrong choices (Acts 16:6-7).

The better we get to know a person, the more acquainted we become with their desires. For example, a wife when she is out shopping and finds a shirt or pants on sale and buys it for her husband. She doesn’t have to ask his advice on every particular situation; she knows that her husband will like it because she knows her husband. The same is true in our relationship with God. As we walk with the Lord, obeying His Word and relying on His Spirit, we find that we are given the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16). We know Him, and that helps us to know His will. We find God’s guidance readily available. If we are walking closely with the Lord and truly desire His will for our lives, God will place His desires in our hearts. The key is wanting God’s will, not our own. “Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

ONE WILL, TWO POINTS OF VIEW

The Bible presents God’s one will in two main ways, his secret will and his revealed will. His secret will (sometimes referred to as his hidden will) refers to the fact that God is sovereign and rules meticulously overall. Nothing happens outside of his perfect will. It’s called “hidden” or “secret” because we don’t know his will until it’s come to pass (Isa. 46:9-10). This is the sovereign, but hidden, will of God. And nothing will prevent it.

By contrast, God’s revealed will is what he’s made known to us in Scripture. For instance, we know it’s God’s will for us to love our neighbors, bridle our tongues, act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly. We know it’s God’s will that we not murder, steal, cheat, lie, slander, gossip, or boast. How do we know, because he has told us in his Word?

FOCUS ON GOD’S REVEALED WILL

We’re prone to overlook God’s revealed will and hyper-focus on his secret will. We often want to know God’s hidden will for the future, while walking contrary to his revealed will in the present. We should diligently study and seek to understand God’s revealed will. As we hear the Word of God preached or taught, reading and studying our Bibles, we will grow in our ability to know God’s revealed will. And as we renew our minds, the Spirit of God will help us not only discern God’s will (Rom. 12:2) but also apply it to the circumstances and moments of our days.

TRUST GOD’S SECRET WILL

While we obey God’s revealed will, we can trust in God’s good providence that as his secret will unfolds He is working all things together for the good of those who love him (Rom. 8:28). Whatever our days may hold, we can trust that the specifics are designed by a loving God for the good of our souls. Whether the decision of the moment involves choosing a spouse or buying a new house, we can trust our sovereign God to order our lives for his glory and our good. Today and every day, the truth is clear it is the will of God (I Thess. 4:3).

This means we can trust God’s will even during trials. Sometimes we think that suffering can’t possibly be the Lord’s will. But we forget that our salvation was won when Jesus submitted himself completely to God’s will in the moment of his greatest suffering. After living in perfect obedience to God’s revealed will, Jesus, on the night before his crucifixion, asked his Father three times if there was any other way for him to accomplish His plan. Everything hinged on how Jesus would respond to God’s perfect will. He submitted himself, saying, “Your will be done” (Matt. 26:42).

Seek to know God’s revealed will. Be diligent in obeying it. Walk in holiness, love your neighbors, be generous with your resources, bridle your tongue, and worship God. Trust that God, in his providence, is working all things together for your good, and remember that what is currently hidden will one day be revealed in glory. As you wait with steadfast hope for that day, thank the Lord that his will is always good. We often want to know God’s hidden will for the future, while walking contrary to his revealed will in the present.

God’s will is for everyone to obey His Word. This has been His will from the beginning. All through Scripture He tells us what to do and what not to do. David prayed, “(Lord,) teach me to do your will” (Psalm 143:10). Many pray, “Lord, show me your will,” and then never open up the Bible. When our hearts are right before Him, He promises to teach us. In teaching us, He gives us understanding (1 John 2:17).

To those who truly seek God’s will, the key is to become more and more like Him. If we are ignorant of God’s Word, we will always be ignorant of God’s will. When we are at a point of decision about choices in life, and it is not contrary to God’s Word, start moving in that direction. Ask Him to close doors and open others. What grieves the heart of God is when we deliberately make a choice that conflicts with His Word. God will never lead us to do something contrary to His written Word.

HOW TO KNOW GOD’S WILL

WALK WITH GOD:

If you are interested in knowing God’s will for your life, then you must learn to walk with God. You need to develop a relationship with Him and cultivate it. You must seek to know Him and not just seek to know about Him.

You will cultivate that relationship best by spending time in His Word, taking time for prayer, and taking every opportunity you can to be involved in church and Bible study. When you seek these disciplines in your life, God will begin to reveal His will to you. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

SURRENDER YOUR WILL TO GOD’S:

Many times when we say we are seeking God’s will, what we are really saying to God is: “God, here’s what I’m planning to do. Now I need you to approve this.” This is not effective in finding God’s true will. Before God will begin to reveal His will to you, you must be committed to doing whatever it is that He desires for you to do. God will likely be slow to show you His will if He knows you will likely not do His will anyway. (Romans 12:1-2)

OBEY WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW TO BE GOD’S WILL:

Many people seem to want to know what God’s plan is for their lives, but they overlook the fact that 98% of His will is already outlined carefully through His Word. God is very clear about many, aspects of His will. For instance, it is clearly His will that we abstain from sexual immorality (I Thessalonians 4:3).

If we do not obey the things that God has shown us clearly to be His will, why would we think He would reveal any further information regarding His will for our lives? Obedience is important if we want to know His will.

SEEK GODLY COUNCIL:

One key factor to finding God’s will is to seek the input of godly advisors in your life. If you don’t currently have godly mentors, then I would highly recommend that you seek them. You are basically a composite of the people you spend the most time with. So, it is vital that you choose those people well. If you choose to surround yourself with godly advisors, they will be instrumental in helping you discern God’s plan for your life. But if you surround yourself with people who are far from God, your hope of finding His best for your life will be greatly diminished. (Proverbs 11:14)

The book of Proverbs has a lot to say about the value of wise counsel (13:10, 20:5). We are to seek godly counsel and to hear from people who truly love the Lord and who are firmly grounded in His Word. The church is designed to help you greatly with this. The more you involve yourself with a community of believers, the greater your chances will be of finding godly men and women who can help you discern God’s will. When you seek counsel, look for someone who can also help you spiritually and has no hidden motives (Isa. 45:20-21, I Pet. 5:5-6, Eph. 5:17-21).

PAY ATTENTION TO HOW GOD HAS GIFTED YOU:

God has created you to fulfill a specific role in this world. There is no one else who can achieve completely what God has purposely created you to do. The Apostle Peter gives us this admonition:  “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (I Peter 4:10)

God has gifted every one of us to perform a special mission for which we alone were created. When you seek to discover God’s will for your life, pay attention to how He has gifted you. His plan for you will always be directly related to the gifts, talents, and abilities that He has given you. The great news is that you will automatically be good at whatever it is that He has called you to do!

LISTEN TO GOD’S SPIRIT:

Many years ago I experienced a major turning point in my prayer life when I learned simply to shut up while I was praying. I used to do all the talking when I prayed to God. But then, I changed the way I approached God through prayer. I added a significant component to my prayer life: listening. I take time to listen to what God might have to say to me.

During your prayer time take time to meditate. You will experience that God will start flooding your heart with ideas and information. What a glorious experience it is to sense God’s Spirit speaking to your heart, guiding your thoughts and words. Through experiences like this, He will show you with great clarity what His will is for your life. These times are truly life-changing. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27).

LISTEN TO YOUR HEART:

In addition to listening to the Spirit, listen to your heart (Psalms 37:4-5). When we walk with the Lord, He will let us do many things that we love to do! When you are close to Him, He begins to shape your desires so that you desire the things that He has already called you to do.

TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES:

God often clearly demonstrates His plan for our lives by lining up circumstances in obvious ways. He also shows us what His will is not for us to do in that same way. Over the years, I have discovered that God opens and closes doors. He did that to the Apostle Paul (Acts 16:6-10).

God often uses closed doors to show us clearly what He does not want us to do. He also uses open doors at times to show us what He does want us to do. This does not mean that every open door is definitely God’s will, but it does help to give you some basic direction.

In James 1:5, we are encouraged to seek God's wisdom when faced with important decisions: "And if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." When we find ourselves at a crossroad and are not sure what the best decision is, we can pray and seek God's direction. We can also seek wise counsel from other mature believers. Often, God guides through a combination of prayer, counsel, and inner peace.