What Is God’s Will For My Life?

If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time you’ve likely asked yourself the question “what is God’s will for my life?” on more than one occasion. I’m assuming I’m in good company when I say that wrestling with all of the unknowns and “what if’s” in an attempt to decypher the answer can be emotionally exhausting!

I’d like to share with you a few ways to discover God’s will for your life that will hopefully bring about some peace in the midst of your uncertainty. Life can be overwhelming at times with a myriad of decisions leaving us confused and afraid of failure, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Anyone who knows me well will quickly confirm that I’m not the best decision maker- as in I have a difficult time making decisions period. I have no idea how many hours of life I have wasted just trying to figure out the best decision to make on any given subject. Whether it’s a big decision or an extremely insignificant one you’re likely to find me contemplating matters for quite some time. I mean what if that new herbal tea that I finally decided on is a complete let down and I just wasted $4.00?!

All of that to say that the idea of understanding God’s will for my life is an area that He’s been teaching me and growing me in since my teen years.

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What Is God’s Will For My Life?

Discovering God’s will for my life came about in an unexpected way recently in the midst of a trying day with my son. Although I didn’t exactly find it humorous at the time, I can look back on this particular situation now with a smile. I love how God often uses the trivial and mundane moments to teach us His truths.

Those of you who have read some of my parenting posts already know that God chose to bless my husband and I with two sweet kiddos who just so happen to have WILLS. OF. IRON! Their creative ways of displaying these strong wills never cease to amaze me…

My (newly turned) 5 year old son has some food allergies and not a very strong appetite which makes getting enough calories in him quite the challenge. He does enjoy eating healthy, but can also be a bit picky from time to time. So a couple of weeks ago I decided that it was time for him to expand his horizons in the food department.

My brilliant plan was to have him eat some almonds with his lunch. Protein, calories, healthy fats… it was a win-win! I made him his lunch around noon that day and also placed 10 almonds on his plate that I enthusiastically encouraged him to eat.

If you’re a fellow mom of a strong willed child, you know that you have to pick your battles. That specific day I chose the almond battle.

I sat down at the kitchen counter beside my son and continued to encourage him to eat those almonds… for FOUR AND A HALF HOURS! Yes, you read that right. We sat there ALLLL afternoon waiting for him to finish up and realize that Mommy means business. After long pauses, some complaining here and there, a little bit of discipline, but mostly calm silence he finally decided to eat his last almond at 4:30pm.

I had a lot to do that day, but thought it best to just lay it all aside to try to work with my little guy. Thankfully God gave me extra patience and grace that afternoon, plus I got to read a good chunk of a new book =) (Another Gospel? by Alisa Childers is a great read by the way!)

I certainly hope that my son learned something that day. Time will tell I suppose… the funny thing is that I learned something.

In the midst of sitting there for so long, in the mostly peaceful kitchen beside my son, it was as if God grabbed ahold of me to remind me that this, these precious children, are my primary ministry right now. Loving, leading, teaching, nurturing, correcting, disciplining… this is His will for my life right now. And it is important work that should never be downplayed or looked upon as secondary. My primary mission at this phase in life is not to keep a spotless home, have a successful blog, maintain a perfect workout schedule, or cook the healthiest meals.

Discovering God’s Will For My Life- Is to pour into my children

Day after day, even when it is inconvenient or extremely difficult we must continually lay aside our desires and preferences in order to best love, guide, and correct our children. They are the most important work. Let’s be a Christ like example, share of God’s faithfulness, and seek Him for patience, grace, and wisdom.

Discovering God’s Will For My Life- Is to love my husband well

It’s so easy to get caught up in our day to day lives that we begin to neglect the very one that God gave us to do life with. Let’s be faithful to intentionally pursue our spouse, meet his needs, and love him with all we’ve got within us.

Discovering God’s Will For My Life- Is to share the gospel

There is a lost and dying world around us that desperately needs to hear the redemptive story of a Savior who came to rescue us in the midst of our brokenness and sin. Let’s be a light and share the hope of Jesus with those around us before it’s to late.

Why do we so often overcomplicate things when the answer is right in front of us?

Related Reading: LONGING FOR HOME

THE BEST IS YET TO COME

How Do You Know If It’s God’s Will?

Maybe you’re asking yourself, “How do you know if it’s God’s will?” I heard a quote one day from one of my favorite pastors, David Platt. He said “Far more important than looking and searching for God’s will is simply knowing and trusting God.” In other words if our focus is on Christ rather than on ourselves, and if we’re truly seeking to trust, obey, and love Him more then we can rest assured that those decisions we make won’t be a disappointment to Him or make a mess of our lives.

Yes, we should absolutely pray about those decisions and seek wisdom. And yes, reading and studying the Bible for guidance is a must. However, I am learning that there’s no need to sweat the small stuff. God can take care of it. He’s made it abundantly clear in His Word that it is not His will for us to fear or be consumed with anxiety. 

If you’re facing a difficult decision or seeking wisdom on how to determine God’s will in a specific situation I’d encourage you to ask yourself these three questions :

1. Does it line up with Scripture?
2. What are my motives?
3. Will this be honoring to God?

Knowing God’s Will- Does It Line Up With Scripture?

To know God’s will, it is vitally important that we are staying in God’s Word on a daily basis. The Bible is God’s love letter to us explaining His holiness, the fall of man, and the redemption offered to us through Christ. We will find truth, encouragement, conviction, hope, challenges, and grace to help guide us in wisdom as we make day to day decisions.

A wise person (my mom) recently reminded me of the importance of staying faithful in our time with the Lord each day. She mentioned Matthew 4:4 “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” She reminded me that the food we eat today is fuel for our body today. It would be foolish to say “nope, I’m good I ate a few days ago so I’m all set for a while. I’m just going to keep living off of those tacos from last week.”

We must look at Scripture in the same way. We cannot go off of what we read several days ago or listened to on Sunday to get us through today. We need to read God’s Word and see what He has for us today in order to get us through today.

The decisions we make in life need to fall in line with what Scripture says no matter what. Let’s be devoted to studying the Bible for ourselves today so we can have better discernment for making those decisions tomorrow.

Knowing God’s Will- Check Your Motives

I’d also encourage you to check your motives before you make those decisions. Even after coming to Christ we are still only sinners saved by grace. We will make mistakes and do things for the wrong reasons from time to time. Ask yourself if you’re making this decision to help and serve others, or is it a selfish motive? Check your heart and make sure that it’s ultimately set on pleasing your Savior and not yourself.

Knowing God’s Will- Does It Honor God?

Lastly, when it comes to knowing God’s will, ask yourself if this choice you’re about to make will honor God? Is it wise? Is it honest?

Over the last 15 years God has repeatedly been teaching me that, yes, many times there are black and white answers when it comes to what God desires from us, but other times there aren’t. Sometimes there’s no right or wrong answer and we shouldn’t stress about it. He has gifted each of us with certain abilities, given us specific desires, and placed us in certain locations and circumstances.

There is often a multitude of ways that we can go about using those gifts for His glory. If we are faithfully seeking Him then we can rest in knowing that He has us where He wants us (whether in a joyous or trying phase) and can use it all for our good and His glory.

Signs You Are Not In God’s Will

There may also be times when we are not in God’s will, whether deliberately or because we made a rash decision without thinking things through. Here are a few signs that you may need some redirection in a decision that you’ve made.

• Conviction– As much as I hate the feeling of being convicted I am also extremely grateful for it. Conviction is like a red flag warning us to stop what we’re doing because trouble is on the horizon. May we repent and seek forgiveness at the first sign of conviction. God is merciful and gracious.
• Unrest– Do you ever feel uneasy and not at peace with a decision you’ve made? This unrest could be God confirming that it wasn’t the best choice and also giving you an opportunity to turn back and make things right.
• Discipline– Did you know the Bible says that God disciplines those who belong to Him (Hebrews 12:5-7)? Just as a parent disciplines a child they love, God will bring about discipline in our lives to rebuke and correct us. Our actions have consequences, but God desires to use them for good.
• You made a decision based upon emotions– Emotions can be very healthy. However, they are poor leaders. We have to be careful to base our decisions on the solid truths of God’s Word and not on our wavering feelings that can so easily lead us astray. 
• You made a decision for the wrong reasons- Sometimes the decisions we make may not be wrong in and of themselves, but if we make them for the wrong reasons (bitterness, anger, jealousy etc.) it can most definitely be out of the will of God.
• Your decision is contrary to Scripture– It is impossible to follow God’s will for our life when we intentionally go against His Word.

What Is The Perfect Will of God?

When it comes to knowing God’s perfect will and answering the question, “What is God’s will for my life?” I’d love to share a Bible passage that repeatedly pops into my mind whenever I begin to question a decision that’s to be made. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (emphasis mine). I think that pretty much sums it up beautifully.

Are you in a sweet parenting season? Rejoice and praise God

Are you in a difficult phase of marriage? Pray without ceasing.

Are you struggling financially? Give thanks.

Friends, obviously, not everyone is a mom of young children right now like I am. But my point in sharing all of this is to simply ask, what is your primary mission right now? Where does God have you at and how can He use you? I’d like to encourage you to pray along these lines and genuinely seek to honor God with what He has given you.

Please don’t allow the overabundance of meaningless distractions to take priority in your life. Our lives here are so short, let’s not waste the precious time we’ve been given.

Although the specifics of God’s will for my life and His will for your life may look a bit different, it is actually quite simple for all of us. He has called us to trust Him, follow His leading, and rest in His promises. Let’s rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give Him thanks.