God’s Will For My Life?

“Lord, what is your will for my life?”

I would ask God this question frequently. But my context behind this question was lacking. I wanted to know what it was I was supposed to do with my life and in certain situations. “What do you want me to do, Lord?”, “Is this the college I am supposed to go to?”, “Is this the degree you want me to pursue?”, “Do I take this job or that job?”, “What do I do in this situation, Lord?”, “What is your will for me?”

Yes, these questions are good to ask in my opinion. I think we all should make it a habit to check in with him about all sorts of things. To me, it is a way to try and honor God in my life by doing so. But that is the issue I struggle with. I have related God’s will for my life with a means of making better decisions. When really, the choices I make themselves are not related to God’s will.

I am currently reading a book by Jen Wilkin titled, “In His Image.” She touches on decision-making and God’s will. She pointed out that Peter was faced with a decision to either deny Jesus or acknowledge him. His decision was not what defined his life, though. It was not God’s will for his life. She went on to say that though Peter’s decision was unwise (denying him three times), God can use any outcome of any decision for his glory and our good.

So, if it is not his will for me to go to this specific college, pursue this specific degree, or work at this specific job, as I have a tendency to relate his will to my professional life.  If his will for me is not a means for decision-making itself, what is it? Well, here is what I am slowly learning more and more:

God’s will for me is to BE who he wants me to BE.

Who does God want me to be?

For one, He wants me to be saved. “This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:3. And in case you were wondering what is good and pleases God in this verse, it is living in all godliness and holiness.

Secondly, he wants me to be godly and holy. “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord.” – Hebrews 12:14.

Thirdly he wants me to be good. “For it is by God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.” – 1 Peter 2:15-17

I could include more scripture, but I think you get the picture. God’s will for our lives is to be in his image. To live lives transformed by him. We are to be saved, to be holy, to be good. We are to be loving, gracious, faithful, patient, thankful, and wise. We are to be everything Jesus exemplified in his earthy life.

So, if you become who God wants you to be, does it matter what college choice, employment choice, moving choice, etc., you go with? You can be who God wants you to be in any of those choices. And besides, getting closer to God, shining his light, and being who he wants you to be will lead you to more of the right choices anyway. Yeah, sometimes you can still make the wrong decisions as Peter did, but not only can God utilize the outcome for his good, it is a learning experience for you to do better next time as well. Did Peter ever deny Jesus again after that?

I hope I helped give you some kind of insight into what God’s will is for your life. It is something I am still learning about anyway, and I would love your insight to it too! Often the choices we are faced with are equally wise. And even if they weren’t, what would it matter the decision we make if we weren’t striving to BE who God is calling us to BE anyway? Lost people make correct decisions at times too, and they are who THEY want to be. They do not care about God’s will. But you do. Remember, God’s will for you is not about the decision-making itself (Often it does not matter the job you take or the school you attend), it is about living your life transformed by him, by being who he is calling you to be. Have a beautiful weekend and God bless.

He Has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God

Micah 6:8

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Featured Image by Emily Morter on Unsplash