How do you know what the will of God is for your life? I thought I’d add my two cents for anyone wanting to know how I know.
I know there are whole books on this topic, and maybe one day I’ll add one to the stack. But for me, the answer is simple. Simply do what you know to do and let God do the rest. For instance, there are some concrete things that you know to do: Pray every day. Fast regularly. Witness to someone on the bus or on your job. Then there are things that you are aware of to do like walk in holiness, and forgive your brother or sister. And then there are a couple of things that challenge you and require your constant growth like trusting God to supply all your needs and having faith that believes that God will actually do what is best for you.
The last part is actually the hard part and the part that makes the will of God so fuzzy for most people. Because actually, because most people struggle with faith and trust, they have their own plans and wills for their lives. They do not feel they really need or even want God’s will for their lives, especially if God’s will conflicts with their plans.
OUCH!!
Why do I have to be so forward?
I feel I can be so forward because I have fallen prey to this trap myself at times in my life. We say we want the will of God for our lives because we are good Christians and that’s what good Christians do. And who among us wants to be labeled a hypocrite, or admit we don’t trust God with EVERY area? Any bad Christians out there?
But like the old folks used to say, “The proof is in the pudding.” And just like most of our faith, if you are walking around fuzzy about the will of God for your life, your pudding is probably watery.
Understand this: God will not write you a letter entitled His Will For Your Life. If he did, it is lost in the Post Office system in some smelly, dusty room with other letters like “How to Get Your Two Year Old to Stop Clowning at Walmart”, and “How to Completely Potty Train in One Day Without Wasting Money on Pullups” and “How to End World Hunger”. It’s not that these things are impossible, but that they all require a process and commitment. You cannot skip the process or the commitment.
So what is the process of discovering God’s will for your life? Again, do what you know to do first. Then look at His Word. The Bible tells us that God has given every one of us a different talent. He made us special and unique for a reason. What is special and unique about you? He made you that way so that you can bring glory and honor to Him. If you are seeking the will of God for your life, start with answering this question: What special talents and gifts did God give to you? Are you using them for his glory? If not, why not? Are you listening to naysayers who say that you cannot support yourself on that particular gift?
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that if you think you can sing, you should quit your job and start singing for the Lord (I mean, who told you you can sing? Did the HolyGhost confirm this?). But you should at the very least include singing in your ministry. But back to my point.
Finally, make sure that you have repented and gave to God your own plans and will for your life in exchange for His. I’ve learned the hard way to stop pushing and pulling on doors of opportunity. Sometimes I get so caught up in my own talent that I forget that it is God who is controlling things and not me. When I just do what I’m supposed to do (and this includes the specific direction I know He has given me), God opens doors I couldn’t have even know were there. It is so easy that way. The hard part is waiting for Him to open something, and questioning how we are gonna live until then. But we must remember, it’s not our own works, but the grace of God that works for us.
