The concept of discovering God’s will for your life can be both exciting and intimidating. In fact, both of those reactions are natural reactions when you realize that the same God who created the world that we live in out of nothing has an individualized plan for your life. Is there a way for you to really know that plan? Absolutely! If you’re in pursuit of God’s plan for your life, make sure to follow these steps.
Have you ever taken the time to truly consider the fact that before you were ever born, God already had a purpose for your life? Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV) says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Since the Bible also teaches us that God doesn’t treat any one person differently than another (Acts 10:34), we can rest assured that God also had a plan for us before we were ever formed in our mother’s womb.
However, one of the most complicated aspects of embracing God’s will for your life is determining what His will for you really is. Does God want you to be a missionary who carries the message of the Gospel to people in remote villages around the world who have never heard it? Maybe God wants you to take the steps necessary to one day pastor a church. Perhaps public ministry has nothing to do with your purpose, and instead, God wants you to use the skills that you already have to start a business that will employ people who need a fresh start in life. Does God want you to oversee a ministry in your church that gives food, clothing, and other necessities to the homeless?
There are a couple universal truths that we need to clarify before we fully dive into today’s study:
1: God has a plan specifically tailored for your life.
2: If God has a plan for your life, He will equip you to fulfill it.
When you understand that God has a plan just for you and that He will give you the things that you need to fulfill it, you can begin taking the steps necessary to discover and embrace God’s will for your life.
Communication is Key
Proverbs 3:5-6 (TPT)
Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go.
As is the case with any relationship in your life, communicating with God is one of the most important aspects of knowing His perfect plan for your life. God is a God of communication. In the early chapters of the Book of Genesis, we read about how God spoke things into existence. He communicated with His creation, and with the other two members of the Godhead. After He created Adam and Eve, the Bible talks about how He would come into the garden during the cool of the day to talk to them. God loves to communicate with His people.
It’s an awe-inspiring realization when you recognize that God wants to communicate with you. No, you may not hear an audible voice the way that Adam and Eve did, but through His Word, other believers, and the Holy Spirit, God still communicates with His people.
One of the most effective ways to understand God’s will for your life is to live your life in constant communication with Him. When you are prayerful and talk to God, and then allow Him to communicate back to you, you’ll be in a better position to understand what He wants you to do with your life.
Go With What You Know
Hebrews 12:1-2 (TPT)
Throughout our history God has spoken to our ancestors by his prophets in many different ways. The revelation he gave them was only a fragment at a time, building one truth upon another. But to us living in these last days, God now speaks to us openly in the language of a Son, the appointed Heir of everything, for through him God created the panorama of all things and all time.
God’s will for His people is twofold. While we are discussing the individual purposes that God has for His people, it’s equally important to realize that God has some universal plans for people who have accepted His gift of salvation. For instance, the Bible says that being thankful in all things is God’s will for you (1 Thessalonians 5:18). In another verse, we read that God’s will for His people is to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). The Great Commission, found at the end of the 28th chapter of Saint Matthew’s Gospel is part of God’s will for all of His people.
Many people who claim to not know God’s will for their lives do so because they’re so focused on their individualized purpose that they forget that we have many aspects of God’s will written down for us. Think of the universal purposes contained in Scripture as the foundation of your pursuit of God’s will for you. When you establish the things that God wants from all of His people in your life, you can start uncovering the specialized pieces of His plan that He has for you. Spend time reading His Word and make sure that your life is lining up with it, since it is a written copy of His plans.
Listening to Godly Counsel
Proverbs 11:14 (TPT)
People lose their way without wise leadership, but a nation succeeds and stands in victory when it has many good counselors to guide it.
One of the most valuable resources that any Christian has at his or her disposal is other Godly people that surround them. The other Christians in your life can not only help you discover God’s will for your life, but they can also help you tap into new aspects.
When you were born, God put certain skills and abilities inside you that He wants you to use to expand His Kingdom. However, we’re often bad at recognizing the things that we’re good at. Additionally, we generally struggle with understanding how God could use those special traits in His divine plan for us. Having other Christians in your corner can help with both steps of that process.
People around you often recognize the special things about you before you do. While many of us struggle with receiving compliments, don’t be afraid to put some stock in what they say. Doing so isn’t prideful. Instead, it’s Biblical to heed the advice of good counselors.
If you’re looking for something to do within the Kingdom of God, consider sitting down with your pastor. There’s a good chance that your pastor is looking for people to help lighten the load of some of the ministries that your church already offers. Having a meeting with your pastor where you discuss your skills and interests may open up the door for you to become more involved in the things going on.
Are you good at organizing events and delegating responsibilities? Perhaps your pastor wants your church to start doing some outreach events in your community but doesn’t have the time to handle it on their own. What if your skillset and willingness to help is the one thing standing between your pastor’s vision of the program and your church doing more for the community?
A Closing Prayer:
Father, I know that Your Word is full of examples of things that You want Your people to do. Today, help me to be more mindful of the things contained in Scripture while I pursue the things that You want me to do. Reveal Your perfect plan for my life to me. I’ll be prayerful and seek You diligently, and I know that You will let me know everything that You want me to do. In Christ’s name I ask these things, Amen.