What is God’s will for my life? This seems to be one of the most frequently asked questions by Christians in my culture, and it’s asked by believers in all stages of life. Unfortunately, to answer this question, we often employ methods that are more superstitious than biblical.
Whether it is randomly opening the Bible and reading the first passage we come across, or trying to find a miracle that can be applied to our life situation, we will try anything to get resolve. We will ask for signs, look for “open doors,” or connive in order to produce a result that seems plausible. We use these methods to discover God’s will, but we often end up dissatisfied with the results. We need a change of perspective.
God’s Isn’t Hiding His Will
What if God’s will was never intended to be found? What if he isn’t hiding it from us? And what if God actually wants us to know and understand his will more than we do? You do not need to try and find God’s will for your life—because God’s will is not lost!
God actually wants us to know and understand his will more than we do
There’s a much better way to know and experience God’s will: as we walk with God, he directs the details of our lives for the accomplishment of his will and the spread of his worship in the world. We see this principle play out in Acts 16, an account of Paul’s ministry that defies any human attempt to discern ahead of time all the specific steps God had in store for the apostle’s missionary efforts.
God’s Will May Be Unexpected
In Acts 16, Paul and Silas set out to strengthen churches that Paul had already planted. Along the way, Paul met a young man in Lystra named Timothy who joined the journey. Paul, Silas, and Timothy set out to the small province of Asia, but the Spirit prevented them.
In other words, God kept them from going north with the gospel and they ended up heading towards Troas. Through the Lord’s leading, they eventually got to Macedonia, and the gospel spread towards Europe into Rome. Amid great mystery and uncertain circumstances, it was evident that God directed the details of their lives as they faithfully proclaimed Jesus.
Focus on What We Know About God’s Will
While there are many things we don’t (and can’t) know about God’s will, there are many things we can know based on his Word. It is without a doubt God’s will for you to commune with him in prayer, to abide with him in his Word, to flee from sin, and to love your neighbor as yourself.
It is without a doubt God’s will for you to commune with him in prayer, to abide with him in his Word, to flee from sin, and to love your neighbor as yourself.
We do not need to sit back and wait on God’s will for our lives. We must walk with him in obedience to his Word. This is the essence of Proverbs 3:5–6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
God wants his will to be accomplished in your life more than you do. And to accomplish his will, he has put his very Spirit in you.
God’s Will, Not Ours
Remember, this is all about the accomplishment of God’s will, not ours. Sometimes Christians say things today like, “The safest place to be is in the center of God’s will.” But the reality is that being at the center of God’s will may be the most dangerous place you can be.
One thing we know about God’s will is that he desires the spread of his worship around the world. Things did not go as expected for Paul during his ministry, and they will most likely not go as expected in your life.
When we grasp what Acts 16 and many other passages of Scripture are teaching us, we realize it is often unnecessary to ask what God’s will is for our lives. Instead, we should ask what God’s will is in the world and how we can align our lives with it. As we do this, we can trust that God will direct our steps for the accomplishment of his will and the spread of his worship in ways far beyond what we could have planned or imagined.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
