God's Will For Your Life

“Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God;

may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

Psalm 143:10

 

                “What is God’s will for my life?” I hear that question a lot, as if it’s an elusive secret guarded by our forefathers of old. I’ve known believers who have traveled around the world and back searching for that answer. Still, there are others, who have “created” God’s will themselves and invited God to join in and bless their life, when in fact it’s their will, not His. 

                Both of those examples are not how God works. He doesn’t hide his will and make us search for it, nor does He want us to do our own will and expect Him to bless it.  God actually has what I call a “primary will” for all of His children as well as a “secondary will”. 

                God’s primary will for your life is two-fold and is the same for all believers; one is that we know Him; the second is that we make Him known (John 21:31;  2 Cor 4:5; Acts 1:8; 1 Tim 2:1-4). The second is contingent on the first. You cannot make Him known if you yourself do not know Him. The second is also an inevitable and natural response to those who genuinely know Him. When you truly experience the freedom, love and grace of Christ Jesus, you passionately desire others to know Him.

                God’s secondary will (as I call it) is different for all of His children, but began before we were even born (1 Th 4:3).  At that time we were sanctified, that is, “set apart for a special purpose” to do His will. God’s secondary will generally include the gifts, talents, and passions of His child. For many of us, these gifts were prominent as children. For example, I’ve always been passionate about writing; I’ve kept a journal since I was eight; I grew up writing screenplays, commercials, books and poetry; and as soon as I was able (in the seventh grade), I began writing for the local newspaper. Nothing makes me happier than sitting before the Lord with a pen and paper in my hands. For others the idea of writing anything would be horrifying. A dear friend of mine is a professor of math at the state university.  Just the idea of balancing my check book overwhelms me. We all have gifts that God intends for us to use for His will; that’s why He gave them to us.

                While it may seem that God’s primary and secondary will as I have explained them are separate, they are meant to work together continually. No matter what your gifts and talents, they are meant to be used in a manner that enhances your relationship with Christ and gives you the opportunity to make Him known to others. It is the world that has separated church from state – not God. This makes God’s will in our life a challenge, but not impossible. We serve a God of miracles and He can create opportunities for us to make Him known. Additionally, prayer is an extraordinary tool for believers to use in asking for such opportunities.

                In closing, let me say that God’s timing is always perfect. He is a God of order and peace. His will in our lives unfolds gently like a rose after the spring rains and in the summer sun. It never has to be forced, is confusing, or excludes His presence or peace. That’s how you can tell if something is or isn’t His will.