What is God’s Will for My Life?

This is a question many God-fearing/God-loving people have pondered and it comes up often in my ministry to young adult college students. There is some confusion and mystery that many people have about God’s will, sure, and some of this is because we can’t and don’t know everything about God and His will, but the good news is that we can know some truth about God and His will that can and should be applied to our lives.

The first and main place I look for such truth is God’s Holy Word where we see His will refers to His plans, purposes, decisions, commandments, and guidance. Think of your own personal volitional will.

Some examples of my will:

- I will that I get out of bed on a workday morning to go to work. I will that I bathe on a regular basis for good clean hygiene.

- Sometimes it is my will that I desire to dunk a basketball over a tall guy or go for a walk in a remote area but I don’t always tell anyone else that this is my will so it is hidden to them.

- I will that my young children clean up after they make messes around our home. My children have learned that this is my will for them but they don’t always obey my will. They have some freedom in their decision making and behavior yet there is still personal responsibility and accountability.

God’s will is similar to these examples although God is also very different and unique because He is the eternal self-existent perfect Holy sovereign spiritual Creator Savior Lord almighty being.

We are exhorted in Scripture to learn about God’s will and live accordingly.

Ephesians 5:17 (ESV) Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Romans 12:1-2 (ESV) I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

There are two aspects of the will of God I want to highlight.

1) The Decreed Will of God

This is sometimes known also as the Sovereign Absolute will of God.

Here’s an example. God the Father decreed beforehand that the eternal Son of God would become flesh and die for our sins and rise in victory. This is God’s will and it was going to happen and it did happen because God decreed it to happen. God also ordained, planned for, and allowed/permitted opposition to Jesus, including violence against Jesus, to take place related to His death on the cross.

Luke 22:21-22 (ESV) But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. ²² For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!”

Acts 2:23 (ESV) this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

Acts 4:26-28 (ESV) The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’— ²⁷ for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, ²⁸ to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

Consider some Bible verses that teach God has a sovereign will (plan, purpose) over all.

Ephesians 1:11 (ESV) In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

Matthew 10:29-30 (ESV) Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

God’s providential overall plan covers even the “small potatoes” matters and details of His creation.

Prov. 16:1, 9, 33 ESV

¹ The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

⁹ The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.

³³ The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.

Proverbs 19:21 (ESV) Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.

Proverbs 21:1 (ESV) The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.

Daniel 4:35 (NLT) All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’

Job 42:2 (ESV) “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

Isaiah 46:10-11 (ESV) declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ ¹¹ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.

See also Jer. 18:6, Isa. 45:9, Ps. 135:6, Prov. 21:30, Job 12:10, Deut. 32:39.

Along with His sovereign will over all things, there are aspects to God (i.e. His thoughts, ways, will) that are unknown to us, a mystery to us.

Deuteronomy 29:29 (ESV) “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

And even though there are unknowns about God and His will and in this creation there is sin, evil, suffering, and difficult circumstances there is still this divine truth that God is sovereign over everything and He will work things out for His good purposes.

Romans 8:28 (ESV) And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

God’s redeemed should find comfort in these truths about God’s will and purposes that He is sovereignly in control of His creation yet we are not puppets living fatalistic lives. He controlling everything to the degree that our decision making doesn’t matter. He has given us a degree of free will under His Sovereign purposes. Because of this there is another aspect to God’s will.

2) The Prescriptive Will of God

What is meant by prescriptive here refers to something that we are to obey, follow, do, or not do (the prohibition could be called proscriptive). This prescriptive will of God refers to His commands, laws, and instructions we are to carry out in our lives.

Here are some Bible examples:

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 (ESV) For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; ⁴ that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, ⁵ not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV) give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Peter 2:15 (ESV) For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

1 Samuel 15:22 (NLT) But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

God’s will is that we obey Him, but people don’t always obey God’s commands and requirements for us and God doesn’t force us to obey Him. This has been happening since the first humans, Adam and Eve, chose to disobey God. God commanded them to not eat of a certain tree and a serpent (influenced by or a manifestation of Satan) tempted them to disobey God and they disobeyed God. It was God’s prescriptive will that Adam and Eve obey Him. They had freedom to make a moral choice with this aspect of God’s will.

This prescriptive moral will of God for our lives is important to follow. Jesus taught His followers to pray this to God, the Father, “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Mt. 6:10b

The eternal Son of God, Jesus, set an example for us in prioritizing His incarnated life according to the will of God the Father:

John 6:38 (ESV) For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

John 4:34 (ESV) Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

His redeemed should prayerfully study Scripture for God’s prescriptive will of our lives and live accordingly. This pleases Him and honors Him and will impact lives with eternal significance.

God’s Will For Your Life

Usually, when someone asks, “What is God’s will for my life?” they are looking for some sort of detailed individual will of God plan for their lives, wanting to know details about their future in this life, like should they go to college or marry and if so where and whom; What about this “fork in the road” decision? Should I get this or be this or do this? etc….

These sort of personal circumstantial details are not spelled out in Holy Scripture but God has given us principles to live by that can and should be applied to our lives. Be careful; however, because we are exhorted to not worry and when we try to control the details of our future when God has not revealed His will about such things we are not trusting God and waiting on His timely guidance in our lives.

The nutshell answer to the question, “What is God’s will for my life?” is to accept Christ as your Savior and Lord and seek to live according to God’s Word for His people today. This is the essential foundational guideline that will keep your pointed in the right direction of God’s will for your life.

Trust God (namely, Jesus Christ) as your Savior and Lord by His grace through faith in Christ.

Ask God to help you understand and live by the revealed “proscriptive” will of God for God’s people today. We don’t have to know everything about God and His will in order to live according to His revealed will (from Scripture).

Pray that you delight in the Lord and that your desires align with His will (Ps. 37:4).

Follow a God-honoring decision making model. Sometimes you face a “fork in the road” decision when neither one is a sinful path so what decision should you make? From my “God-honoring Decision Making” blog entry (http://mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2014/04/god-honoring-decision-making.html), here are eight key steps to follow:

1) Pray to God (& fast), trusting Him throughout the process.

2) Seek relevant knowledge and understanding.

3) Seek biblical-based discernment.

4) Seek wisdom from God, His Word, & God-honoring people.

5) Analyze and compare information/options.

6) Wait on the Lord, be patient, to give you a sense of peace about it.

7) Ask God for increased living faith in Him.

8) Go ahead, when the timing is right, make the decision for the glory of God.

Keep in mind that relevant knowledge includes a growing self-awareness of how God has wired you for life and ministry; i.e. spiritual gift(s), strengths, God-honoring passions and skillsets.

Give lots of personal attention to being the person of God He biblically calls you to be. When you are Christ-centered, Spirit-filled, and God-glorifying this is transcendently more important than your circumstances in life like college majors and degrees, career, marital or parenting status, financial level, and physical health. God is most interested in how Christ-like you and I are. When we get this right we are headed in the right direction of understanding God’s will better and better for our lives.

Ask God to help you discern His leading and guidance in your life. The more surrendered to God you live the easier it will be for you to discern this. When you are “walking by” the Holy Spirit (also “led by”, “live by”; Gal. 5:16-25) and making God-honoring decisions you don’t have to worry about possibly missing out on what God’s will is for your life because living by the Spirit is God’s will for your life. Trust God’s guidance in your life. He wants to give you a spiritual peace with His guidance.

It is in doing the revealed will of God that you and I will experience God-glorifying purpose, direction, joy, spiritual intimacy with Him (and His people), and eternal significance.

How do you think God helps us answer the question, “What is God’s will for My Life?” and what are your thoughts about what I’ve presented here?

Mike

Spirit-led Evangelism

Recently, I was asked by an international student, whom I was discipling, if I would baptize him and proclaim the Gospel to his gathered family at this special event. I was honored to do so and I praise God for the opportunity. I asked God to lead me to what Bible passage I should highlight and He led me to the following encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian.

Acts 8:26-39 ESV Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. ²⁷ And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship ²⁸ and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. ²⁹ And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” ³⁰ So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” ³¹ And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
³² Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. ³³ In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” ³⁴ And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” ³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. ³⁶ And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” ³⁸ And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. ³⁹ And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

This Philip was likely the same man named in Acts 6 as one of a few whom the Apostles set apart, ordained, to assist them in ministry at that time. They were looking for men of good reputation and full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom (see Acts 6:3). Philip was one of these men.

Earlier in Acts 8, we read that Philip was ministering in Samaria to crowds; proclaiming the Gospel and healing people (by the power and name of Jesus Christ).

Then the Angel of the Lord spiritually called Philip to go to a certain deserted pathway. He was not called to a mega-church or stadium crusade. In this instance, Philip was called away from a crowded ministry setting to what probably seemed like the middle of nowhere. But there were some people there. This was a divine appointment.

Philip came near an Ethiopian man whom the Holy Spirit told Philip to approach. In fact, Philip ran to him, probably because the chariot was moving. This man was very important in his Queen’s courts. He also had some level of belief in the Lord God almighty because he had just come from worshiping Him in Jerusalem. On the road, he was reading aloud a Bible scripture by the prophet Isaiah. Philip politely asked if he understood what he was reading, but the man said he needed guidance to understand this passage (as do all when it comes to our salvation and discipleship; Rom. 10:14-17). The man was reading verses from Is. chp53, a passage that points to the coming Messiah, the Savior, we all need.

Here are a couple verses from Isa. 53; 5-6 ESV But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Just recently in the days of Philip and this Ethiopian, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, fulfilled these prophetic statements written hundreds of years earlier by Isaiah and Philip knew this. Then Philip opened his mouth and told this Ethiopian man the great news, Gospel, of Jesus Christ beginning with Isa. 53.  And since the Ethiopian soon afterwards wanted to stop to be baptized in water, I read between the lines that moments before his baptism he accepted Jesus Christ into his life as Savior and Lord.

Here are four take-aways from this passage I want to highlight:

1) The Importance of the Holy Spirit in Evangelism.

The Holy Spirit knew there was an Ethiopian in seeker mode for salvation (because God drew/pointed him in this direction) and the Holy Spirit knew he had an empowered Spirit-filled Christ-follower, Philip, who “could” go share the Gospel with this Ethiopian.

The Spirit (Holy Spirit) somehow impressed upon Philip to go up to the Ethiopian’s chariot. And after the baptism the Spirit carried Philip away. God directed Philip to the right person at the right time. The Holy Spirit was at work before, during, and after this Gospel encounter between these two men. The Holy Spirit is an essential component to evangelism. We shouldn’t be trying to do evangelism by way of our flesh; what we think we can do in our own efforts.

The Holy Spirit will impress upon a Christ-follower through different means (i.e. thoughts, burdens, convictions, Scripture, people) and we need to ask God to fill us with the Spirit and help us discern His voice and take the next steps.  Being “full of the Holy Spirit” (see Eph. 5:18) means one is “led by” the Holy Spirit (also “walk by”, “live by”; Gal. 5:16-25) and discerning of His leading in your life.

The most effective evangelism will be Spirit-led evangelism. God is at work all around us and He expects His people to be Spirit-led.

2) The Importance of Faithful Obedience to God.

I believe God’s primary evangelism vehicle comes through a human instrument, especially a Christ-follower who is faithful in sharing the Gospel. When I accepted Christ as my Savior and Lord at age 9 it followed many Gospel presentations I had heard from my church Sunday School teachers and Children’s Church leaders and my own mother.

God is not forcing His people to share the Gospel but He has called us to do so and He desires to equip and empower us for this important ministry. Are we willing and faithful, though? Philip was. You may not be uniquely gifted as a professional or large scale evangelist but all Christ-followers are called to be Christ’s witnesses to proclaim the Gospel.

Philip accepted this witnessing commission from Christ. In Acts 8, we notice Philip was faithful and obedient to the leading of God in his life. This is spiritual success in one’s life. God is the One who spiritually draws people unto Himself as their needed Savior. God does the actual saving/salvation. Philip did not save anyone from their sins. God is the One who did great evangelism ministry through Philip who was willing, available, and faithful to serve God in sharing the Gospel with people.

Praise God, Philip was not the common mute Christian witness that is so prevalent today nor was he a vague witness nor an overly aggressive witness. Following God’s prompting, he politely began a conversation with this stranger in a friendly way right where the man was spiritually at that moment (actually reading a Messianic Bible passage).

I remember once in seminary when I was walking from my basement apartment to my car and I chatted with a contractor doing some work on the neighbor’s house. He told me he was very down because of a murder suicide his high school friend was recently part of. The Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart to point this man to the living hope that exists in the resurrected Christ but instead I kept things brief and general with that guy and did not mention what was really eternally significant and needed in that moment. Afterwards, I regretted that missed opportunity for ministry and my lack of obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Praise God though, there have been other times when I sensed the Holy Spirit leading me to go talk to someone and transition the conversation to the person and works of Jesus Christ and I did that. How about you?

3) The Importance of God’s Word in Evangelism.

The Word of God is our major source of Gospel revelation from God to us. Acts 8:35 (ESV Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.) summarizes a key reason why the Holy Bible was written.

Romans 10:17 ESV So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God, especially the truth of the Gospel, to illuminate essential truth and draw people unto the Lord.

Let’s not major on extra-biblical illustrations and personal stories. These have their uses in evangelism but let’s be sure to major on using relevant Holy Scripture to communicate needed divine truth.

Do you and I have a good summary understanding of the Gospel according to God’s Word? Can you and I share the Gospel on a moment’s notice? I believe we should be able to do this and we should practice this and engage in this. If you had the opportunity today to talk with someone several minutes about the Gospel of Christ, which Bible verses might you highlight? Would any be from the Old Testament?

Let’s stay saturated in the Gospel of Christ; in our learning, in our remembering the truth we have learned, in our spiritual growth, in our proclamation of it.

4) The Importance of Cross-cultural Evangelism.

Philip was a Greek name and he was likely a Hellenist; a Jewish Christian who spoke Greek. His roots were possibly Palestinian. The Ethiopian was from another culture and land, Africa, and he was likely a dark skinned man. The point is, Philip did not just speak the Gospel to Jews or even Greeks. He spoke the Gospel to an African man (and to mixed-race Samaritans; earlier in Acts 8).

The Gospel is for people of all nations and tribes and Christ-followers are called to proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation (Mk. 16:15, Mt. 28:19). God created me Caucasian and I was born in Florida and my recent ancestors are Caucasian and were born in the US. This Gospel of Jesus Christ is not a US thing though, or a Caucasian thing, or just for or primarily for Caucasians and people who live in the US. This Gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest news in all of creation and intended to bless everyone. It is a cross-cultural Gospel. The eternal Son of God became flesh. God came to us, the Jews first, then to non-Jews.

I’ve been outside the US to share the Gospel with people from another land and I’ve been down the street to share the Gospel with people from another culture or the same culture. Recently, I was blessed with the opportunity to proclaim the Gospel to a room of people who were from multiple continents and cultures and I spoke of this Acts 8 passage. In your circle of influence, are there people from other cultures (or you culture) you can speak to about Christ? Are we praying for such opportunities? Are we engaging in such ministry for the glory of God?

There are many people who would consider themselves religious and may even worship Jehovah/Yahweh but do they know Jesus Christ as Savior and the Lord of their lives by God’s grace through faith in Christ? And do you?

What are your thoughts about this encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian recorded in Acts 8 and what I’ve written here?

Mike