If you’ve ever faced a major decision, you may have asked yourself “What is God’s will for my life?”
Likely it was stressful – you don’t want to mess up God’s will! – and it may have left you frozen in place.
I remember being a senior in college, trying to figure out what God’s will looked like for me after graduation. All along, the plan had been to go into radio. Was that still what God wanted? Where would I end up moving?
What if I should drop out, move to Wyoming, and start a hippopotamus farm instead? (Actually, I was pretty sure God didn’t want that last one.)
What if I misheard God?
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone! Most of us have had those questions about what God really wants us to do in a particular situation. There’s an uncertainty, and perhaps even a fear about missing God’s will for our lives and spending years having to play catch-up.
“What is God’s will for my life?”
Does God want me to go back to school?
Does God want me to get a dog?
Does God want me to buy the spinach or the lettuce at Meijer? Or maybe Walmart?
Decisions, decisions.
But maybe – just maybe – finding God’s will for your life isn’t quite that complicated.
Maybe it’s a whole lot simpler than we’ve made it out to be.
In the Bible, there are actually quite a few places that talk about God’s will; most of them come from the part of the Bible known as the New Testament. Every time “the will of God” is mentioned, though, there is a really simple, straightforward theme that gives us the key to what God’s will for you might be.
Here are just a few examples:
Romans 12:2 – God’s will is for you to have a new mindset that follows Him.
Hebrews 13:20-23 – God’s will is for you to look more and more like Jesus.
1 John 2:16-17 – God’s will is for you to forsake worldly things and follow Jesus.
Did you catch the theme? Pretty simple, isn’t it? God’s will, for you and for me, is to follow Jesus and be like Him.
That’s good news! Honestly, it comes with a sigh of relief for me. Knowing that the will of God isn’t a strange, mysterious thing I just hope that I can figure out takes the pressure off. And yes, there will still be specific instances where you wonder what exactly God wants you to do. But now you have freedom to make decisions that honor God and make you more like Him.
As author Kevin DeYoung says in his book Just Do Something, “If you are seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, you will be in God’s will, so just go out and do something.”
So breathe. Live in freedom! Look to Jesus and let God make you more like Him.
