The Will of God

Having served decades as a pastor, I have struggled to answer a difficult question we all ask, “how do I know the will of God for my life?”  We are convinced that there must be some mystical aspect to the answer to this question.  We know and will readily say that God is concerned with what I do for a living, or whom I should marry; however, do we live in the awareness that God is concerned with it all?  He is concerned with our moment by moment decisions, and even the thoughts that captivate our minds.  Perhaps the more important consideration is if He is concerned with it all, how does that effect my life?  Do we allow this reality to shape our actions and our thought processes? 

A thorough exposition of John 15 leads to a conclusion that without being in the will of God, we can do nothing that has any lasting impact.  Jesus said, “I am the vine and you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; but apart from me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:5 NIV)  According to Christ, being connected to Him is how we live out His will.  In other words, it is impossible to either know or do the will of God if we are not connected with Him.  The key to knowing the will of God for our lives is to be connected to HIm.  Invest in a true, meaningful relationship with Christ and the will of God will come into focus.

I have discovered that while we are constantly asking the big questions about God’s will for our profession, relationships, and where we should live, we are missing opportunities every moment to be obedient to God’s will.  I have started asking myself anytime I start to struggle with those big questions, “what do you want from me right now God?”  That is a bit easier to answer.  We can know without any doubt that God wants us to love others, be honest and humble, and to control our thought life.  By focusing on the moment to moment will of God, the answers to those other life questions sometimes become clearer.