Why life isn’t a game of cosmic whack-a-mole.
How can you be certain that you are doing God’s will in your life right now? Is there a way to align your life goals with His plans for you?
Why Doing God’s Will is Important
Author Ruth Bell Graham once quipped that as a young woman, she would have “married the wrong man, several times,” if God had answered her prayers each time with a resounding “yes.”
Eventually, in God’s timing and at Wheaton College, Ruth met the young man she would one day marry: a tall, skinny boy named Billy. He became one of the world’s most famous evangelists. She wrote more than a dozen books. Together, they raised five children and celebrated 63 years of marriage before her passing in 2007.
But as she acknowledged, discerning God’s will isn’t always easy. Then again, it’s not like a game of cosmic Whack-A-Mole, either.
So, how do you know God’s will? And how do you connect that with your own goals in life?
5 Ways to Align with God’s Will
1. Grow Closer to God
It’s a simple concept: The closer you grow to someone—your spouse, your children, your friends — the more you will know about them.
It’s the same with God. If you want to discern God’s will, then first you must grow in your relationship with Him.
“Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:8, NIV).
Take a moment to reflect on your first date with someone you love. You likely knew nothing about them. But the more you listened, and the more questions you asked, the more you learned about them. Pretty soon, you knew all about their desires and passions. Pretty soon, you knew all about their will.
How much time do you spend with God each day? Do you pray? Do you read His Word? The more you do that, the easier it is to find God’s will.
2. Dive into His Word
In a sense, you already know God’s will for your life. His will is for you to love as He loved, to forgive as He forgave, to walk in the Spirit as He walked in the Spirit. We know that because He told us so in the Bible.
Billy Graham once said, “If we are ignorant of God’s Word, we will always be ignorant of God’s will.”
God’s roadmap for life is found in the pages of Scripture. He wants you to be sanctified (1 Thessalonians 4:3), to walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), and to shine His light wherever you go (Matthew 5:14). He wants you to practice love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
He wants you not to “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” (Romans 12:2).
But—here’s the kicker—the only way you can know God’s Word is if you are reading it. God’s will for your life will never contradict what He has already said in Scripture.
He speaks through His Word (2 Timothy 3:16).
3. Embrace Your Talents
My 12-year-old son has a knack for soccer. He scored the winning goal in the first game he ever played. Last season, he led his team in scoring.
Recently, as he lay in his bed ready for sleep, I asked him a question: “Why are you a good soccer player?” He struggled to answer. Practice? Hard work? Dedication?
“No,” I told him, “It’s because God made you a good soccer player.”
His talents come from God.
The same is true of you. You have talents that others around you don’t have. Maybe it’s the gift of singing or the ability to solve complex math problems effortlessly. Perhaps it’s the gift of thoughtfulness and kindness.
Do your life goals intersect with your talents?
God doesn’t want His children to waste their gifts (Matthew 25:14-30). He wants us to use them for His glory and doing His will.
The next time you talk to God, thank Him for your talents. Ask Him for wisdom in this area of your life.
4. Seek Godly Advice
It’s common to seek a “second opinion” following visits to the doctor and the mechanic. How much more important, then, should it be to seek godly advice about life?
“Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future” (Proverbs 19:20, ESV).
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” (Proverbs 12:15, ESV).
Consider asking the advice of a pastor or a seasoned Christian. Find someone who will be honest but also encourage you in what they say rather than tear you down (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Perhaps they have walked a similar path. Perhaps they will have godly words of advice. Perhaps they are doing God’s will in their own way and can show you how.
God doesn’t want us to live life solo. He wants us to be part of a community of believers. He wants us to seek the wisdom of others.
5. Be Patient
God’s ways are not our ways.
“[W]ith the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8).
We don’t know if God will answer our prayers the way we envision. We only know that His plan for our lives is better than anything we can envision (Jeremiah 29:11).
As you ask God for wisdom, ask Him for patience, too. Doing God’s will is a process. He has guided your past. He will guide your future.
