{"id":987882,"date":"2024-04-19T02:54:45","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T02:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/devoutly.org\/journal\/?p=987882"},"modified":"2024-04-19T17:58:37","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T17:58:37","slug":"how-to-connect-gods-will-with-your-life-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/devoutly.org\/journal\/how-to-connect-gods-will-with-your-life-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Connect God\u2019s Will with Your Life Goals"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Why life isn\u2019t a game of cosmic whack-a-mole.<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

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?<\/p>\n

Why Doing God’s Will is Important<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Author Ruth Bell Graham once quipped that as a young woman, she would have \u201cmarried the wrong man, several times,\u201d if God had answered her prayers each time with a resounding \u201cyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eventually, in God\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

But as she acknowledged, discerning God\u2019s will isn\u2019t always easy. Then again, it\u2019s not like a game of cosmic Whack-A-Mole, either.<\/p>\n

So, how do you know God\u2019s will<\/a>? And how do you connect that with your own goals in life?<\/p>\n

5 Ways to Align with God’s Will<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. Grow Closer to God<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a simple concept: The closer you grow to someone\u2014your spouse, your children, your friends \u2014 the more you will know about them.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the same with God. If you want to discern God\u2019s will, then first you must grow in your relationship with Him.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome near to God and he will come near to you\u201d (James 4:8, NIV).<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s will.<\/p>\n

2. Dive into His Word<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a sense, you already know God\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Billy Graham once said, \u201cIf we are ignorant of God\u2019s Word, we will always be ignorant of God\u2019s will.\u201d<\/p>\n

God\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

He wants you not to \u201cbe 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\u201d (Romans 12:2).<\/p>\n

But\u2014here\u2019s the kicker\u2014the only way you can know God\u2019s Word is if you are reading it. God\u2019s will for your life will never contradict what He has already said in Scripture.<\/p>\n

He speaks through His Word (2 Timothy 3:16).<\/p>\n

3. Embrace Your Talents<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Recently, as he lay in his bed ready for sleep, I asked him a question: \u201cWhy are you a good soccer player?\u201d He struggled to answer. Practice? Hard work? Dedication?<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d I told him, \u201cIt\u2019s because God made you a good soccer player.\u201d<\/p>\n

His talents come from God.<\/p>\n

The same is true of you. You have talents that others around you don\u2019t have. Maybe it\u2019s the gift of singing or the ability to solve complex math problems effortlessly. Perhaps it\u2019s the gift of thoughtfulness and kindness.<\/p>\n

Do your life goals intersect with your talents?<\/p>\n

God doesn\u2019t want His children to waste their gifts (Matthew 25:14-30). He wants us to use them for His glory and doing His will.<\/p>\n

The next time you talk to God, thank Him for your talents. Ask Him for wisdom in this area of your life.<\/p>\n

4. Seek Godly Advice<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s common to seek a \u201csecond opinion\u201d following visits to the doctor and the mechanic. How much more important, then, should it be to seek godly advice about life?<\/p>\n

\u201cListen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future\u201d (Proverbs 19:20, ESV).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice\u201d (Proverbs 12:15, ESV).<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

God doesn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

5. Be Patient<\/strong><\/p>\n

God\u2019s ways are not our ways.<\/p>\n

\u201c[W]ith the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day\u201d (2 Peter 3:8).<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t 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).<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n