How Do I Find God’s Will for My Life? | Faith & Life

Many of us genuinely want to lead lives that are aligned with God’s will. We want to do things that He wants and fulfil His purpose for our lives.

But discerning God’s will can be deeply confusing. Sometimes, we just don’t know what is expected of us. At other times, we don’t know why some things happen—or don’t happen—despite our best efforts. So we often find ourselves asking:

“What exactly do you want me to do, Lord?”

What Is “God’s Will”?

Before trying to figure out what God’s will is for our lives, we need to understand what God’s will actually is.

There are several aspects of God’s will. One is His revealed will, which is the kind of God-honouring lifestyle that He desires for His people as revealed in Scripture. As Jesus said, this boils down to: loving God and loving others.

While it will take wisdom and help to discern how best to live out His will in particular circumstances, we don’t have to pray or debate about whether God wants us to live with gratitude and avoid sexual immorality, for example; He’s already told us plainly.

Another aspect is known as “God’s hidden will”. This refers to His sovereign control over the universe, where God is always working in all things towards His promised future. We can never fully understand at the time what God is doing, since His plan and purposes are mysterious to us. Sometimes, we can get a good idea of what God has been up to when we look back on something years later.

It’s equally important to acknowledge that,

although God is always sovereignly at work, not everything that happens is the direct will of God.

It’s also important to understand that God’s will allows for human freedom. He allows us to make our own choices, and we may have to live with the consequences of our actions.

To make good decisions, we first need to be grounded in God’s larger purposes for us. These will direct the overall direction our lives should take. For example:

God has called us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbours as ourselves (Mark 12:29–31).

We are to seek first God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

We are to abide in Christ (John 15:1–17) and allow the Holy Spirit to bear fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:16–26).

We are to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:16–20) and be His Spirit-empowered witnesses (Acts 1:8).

On “smaller” decisions that confront us daily, we have the freedom to exercise wisdom. Here are some questions and principles that may help guide you in your choices and actions:

Is this decision consistent with God’s Word?

God has given us guidance through Scripture, which teaches us about how to relate to Him, to each other, and to this world.

Spending more time in His Word will thus help us grow in our understanding of His will.

How can you do this? Find a church with solid biblical teaching, and read the Bible on your own, using a reliable study Bible or Bible commentary as a guide. And don’t be afraid to ask mature believers questions.

Is the Holy Spirit leading me in this way?

God has put His Spirit within us; and He will lead and guide us in making decisions. But how can we learn to discern the voice of the Spirit? This is a process.

Remember, however, that

the Spirit’s voice leads us to love and serve God and others, and to be other-focused

Any voice suggesting that we act selfishly, no matter how much it may be wrapped in religious language, is not the Spirit’s voice.

God works through Scripture, His Spirit, and His people in guiding us. So we need to pay attention to what our Christian community is saying about our decisions and choices.

Keep the process

Ask people who know you well and care for you but are not wrapped up in your immediate emotional circumstances, and who can offer wise, objective advice. Be very cautious about going in a particular direction when almost all the people who know you best and love you most are suggesting a different path. It could very well be God trying to redirect you.

Sometimes, we need to say “no” to some opportunities so that we can do a few things well—it may be much better than trying to do many things and doing them poorly.

It’s helpful at times to step back and take a wide-angled view.

It’s also important to think about the long-term consequences of different decisions, not just the short-term benefits. Comparing lists of pros and cons, for instance, can show how each decision will affect every aspect of life, especially our relationships. But we need to be honest when drawing up the lists!

Although God may sometimes ask us to do things that are outside our primary area of gifting, especially when there is no one else to meet the need, He usually wants us to operate from the core of how He’s gifted us.

It takes time to figure out what seems natural for us. These activities tend to be life-giving and energising, rather than demoralising and draining. But keep in mind that this is only one consideration: it shouldn’t be used as an excuse for neglecting God’s larger purposes.

It’s important to pay attention to what gives you joy, to what passions and gifts God has given you.

Whether or not you can make a career of these interests, God has placed them in you for a reason. If you love quiet and solitude, for instance, you probably shouldn’t start a wedding coordinator business.

It’s easy, however, to overemphasise this consideration. It’s just one of the questions to consider; the fact is, our day jobs may not always perfectly align with our gifting, but we do it anyway.

Does this fit with how God has worked in my life in the past?

God sometimes works in our lives in patterns (although He likes to surprise us, too!).

While we want to remain receptive and open to God doing something new in our lives, it’s wise to pay attention to how God has worked in our lives in the past.

Through time, we can learn to look to God to do what He has done before. But again, these patterns will be consistent with God’s character and God’s Word. These patterns can include not just how God acts in our lives, but also the ways we have come to recognise His will and His particular ways of leading us.

Sometimes, an open door does signal God’s leading, but not necessarily so.

The Bible records times when a door is open, but the man or woman of God doesn’t walk through it. For example, Paul had an opportunity to preach the gospel in Troas, but he didn’t go ahead, because he did not find Titus there and he “had no peace of mind” (2 Corinthians 2:12–13). Paul’s heart was in Corinth. He couldn’t go through the open door of ministry because he was more concerned about his relationship with the Christians at Corinth.

Sometimes, God closes a door to redirect our path. But it might also be an obstruction from the enemy that we need to overcome.

Opportunities can arise out of nowhere, or vanish. We can be assured that behind the scenes, God is still at work.

Will this action bring me peace and joy, and bring God glory?

Will a choice we’re planning to make bring us peace and joy—the kind that comes when we know we’re in the right place, doing what God wants us to do? Following God’s leading may not be easy or always fun, but

it will bring a deep sense of contentment and fulfilment, a godly kind of joy in doing what we know we’re supposed to do.

Above all, will this decision honour God? Will it result in us loving God more deeply? Will God’s people be edified and built up? We want to come to the end of our days and be able to say that we have glorified God with the life He gave us to live. What a tremendous privilege!

Scott Duvall (Ph.D., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Fuller Professor of New Testament at Ouachita Baptist University (Arkadelphia, Arkansas) where he teaches the NT Greek Exegesis, Life of Christ, Revelation, Spiritual Formation, and Interpreting the Bible. Scott has co-authored Grasping God's Word, Living God's Word, Journey into God's Word, Preaching God's Word, Dictionary of Biblical Prophecy, and Biblical Greek Exegesis. He has also written Experiencing God's Story of Life and Hope: A Workbook for Spiritual Formation.