What is the Will of God?
By Dean Ingraham
The will of God is often treated as a mystery; a secret waiting to be discovered, that God perhaps may reveal to you if you pray and seek Him hard enough. This approach not only leads to confusion and anxiety, but it also over-complicates a fairly simple issue that just requires faith and obedience.
In Matthew 7:21, Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
This verse makes it clear that we will be held accountable for doing God’s will and that there are serious consequences for failing to do so. Understanding this, we can see just how serious of an issue this is and that, if we don’t have a clear understanding of what the will of God is, then this can cause a lot of anxiety and confusion.
But we must remember that our God is a good father and He is not hiding His will from us. In fact, He has given us everything we need to discover it. Not only has He given us His written word so that we can discern right from wrong and have wisdom for making good decisions, but He has also given us his Holy Spirit to guide us.
So then, why is this issue so confusing? Why do we struggle to understand the will of God for our lives?
Jesus continues: “On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws’” (Matthew 7:22-23).
In this portion of Scripture, we can clearly see that the will of God is directly tied to our obedience to God’s law or His written word, and that it is our lack of obedience that breaks our fellowship with God.
Jesus makes this point later in Matthew 12:50 by stating that “whoever does the will of my father, he is my brother and sister and mother,” and He points out in John 14:15 that if we love Him, we will obey His commands. In other words, our relationship and standing with God is directly related to our willingness to hear and obey His word. That is how we express our love for the father and live out our faith. Jesus describes those who listen and obey His teachings as a wise man who builds his house upon a rock (Matthew 7:24-27).
Simply put, the will of God is for us to obey His written commands and His written commands are only a mystery to those who don’t read and study His word.
The word of God actually has a great deal to say about His will for our lives. For instance, the Christian life is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:3-12, where it says it is God’s will that we be sanctified and holy, abstaining from sexual immorality; that we love one another and treat each other fairly; that we work hard and mind our own business, and that we live in a way that is respectful to those outside the church. Paul points out in verse 8 that anyone who rejects these instructions is not disobeying man’s teachings, but is rejecting God, who has given us His Holy Spirit. Paul also reminds us in Ephesians 2:10 that “we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
“As you learn how to love and serve God and people, you will find your place in the will of God. After all, this is what we are here for.”
Finally, we would all be wise to govern our lives by the two greatest commandments, which are to love your God with all your heart, your soul, and your mind and to love your neighbor as yourself. As you learn how to love and serve God and people, you will find your place in the will of God. After all, this is what we are here for.
These are just a few of the many passages in Scripture which describe various aspects of God’s will for our lives. But what about finding our calling, or making big decisions like what jobs we should take or schools we should attend or what places we should move to? How do we find the will of God in those areas of our lives which are not explicitly addressed in the word of God?
In order to discern the voice of God and know His will for your life outside of simple obedience to His word, you must first start by reading His word and obeying His written commandments. As you begin to put these things into practice, not only will your life be on the right track, but God will begin to reveal His divine will for your life. It may not come in the form of an audible voice, but God has a way of directing our steps and helping us to find our place in the body as we walk in obedience to His word.
King David understood the importance of following and obeying God’s word and he relied on His word to keep him from sin. In Psalm 119:133 he asks, “Direct my steps in Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.” David understood that as long as he stayed in God’s word, God’s Spirit would guide and direct him through the rest of life’s issues.
And this is where faith comes in. We have to trust that as long as we are seeking God, reading and obeying His word, that ultimately God will keep us on the right path and when the time comes, He will reveal His will for our lives.
This is not something you have to stress out about or be anxious over. Simply obey God’s word, apply wisdom in areas that Scripture does not explicitly address, and allow His Holy Spirit to do the rest. You may even wake up one day realizing that where you are and what you are doing is exactly where God wants you to be, and you will be able to look back and trace all the movements of God in your life that got you to where you are today.
He may not always answer your prayers in the moment, but if you simply have faith and obey God’s word, He will direct your steps according to His will and one day, you will hear those words: "Enter in, good and faithful servant, to the joy of your Lord."
