Many times in our walk with God, we wonder if we are really following His Will for our lives. This daily devotional looks at what God’s Will means and how we can discern it for our lives.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Rom. 12: 2 NIV)
After we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, we are to follow God’s Will for our lives. Unfortunately, finding out what God’s Will for our lives can sometimes be difficult — or so we think.
There are so many times I have cried out to God, “Just show me what You want me to do! I don’t know what You want me to do in this situation.”
I knew God wasn’t playing Hide and Seek with me. I was just having trouble knowing what His Will was for my life.
God always wants us to know and do His Will. But what is that, and how can we do it?
What Doesn’t “God’s Will” Mean?
"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth" (Col. 3: 2 ESV)
I think we believe God’s Will for our lives means the plan He has for us individually. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29: 11 ESV).
The questions we want answered have to do with how should we live in this life.
- What job should I take?
- Who should be my friends?
- Who should I marry?
But God doesn’t talk about everything in the His Word. He especially doesn’t get personal like that.
There are many people in Scriptures, but we get just snippets of their lives. Usually when we are introduced to someone, it is because their actions in a certain situation serve as a model for us.
We should either follow their lead — or do exactly the opposite.
Our main role model is Jesus — yet, we still just got snippets of His life. Why?
God wants to build our character to be like His. When we do that, we can take how He wants us to be and apply that in the situations in life in which we find ourselves.
Yes, God wants us to be like Him instead of having a checklist to determine our obedience to Him.
The reasoning behind this is important. Don’t miss this.
God doesn’t focus on the physical world. God focuses on our spiritual condition.
When we say we have to find God’s Will for our lives, it is more we have to find out how He wants us to live. How should we conduct our lives that falls in line with how He wants us to live?
What Does “God’s Will” Mean?
"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is" (Eph. 5: 15-17 ESV)
So, what is God looking for us to do?
God is most concerned with our spiritual condition. Therefore, His Will would be for us to grow closer to Him.
We already know that there are things God wants us to do, and some things God doesn’t want us to do. The Bible clearly lays out God’s Will in the do’s and don’ts.
The Ten Commandments, given in Exodus 20: 3-7, guide us. The Book of Deuteronomy is a restatement of the law given in Exodus. Leviticus adds some things in or expands on some. Jesus clarified many of the laws in His teaching.
Yes, it is God’s Will that we follow His do’s and don’ts. When we do, we gain His character.
That is what God ultimately wants.
How Well We Know God
"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen" (II Pet. 3: 18 ESV)
Simply put, knowing God’s Will is connected to how well we know Him. The more we know Him, the easier it is going to be to discern His Will.
We find God when we seek Him.
We need to know what the scriptures say — all of them. We need to know how they connect.
We have to know what God’s Word says for the times we don’t have time to think about what we are doing. The do’s and don’ts need to be so ingrained in us that we automatically react according to His Will.
This is easier when we have the fruits-of-the-spirit pure heart. If we react in love, for example, we will react in His Will.
Being a Living Sacrifice
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship" (Rom. 12: 1 ESV)
We are called to be living sacrifices — to worship Him and to live the way He wants us to live so that we can witness to others.
We are called to live different lives than those who hold to the worldview. We do this by looking to God in faith, trusting in Him, and living with joy in our hearts.
To me all of this just screams “focus on Him, not us.” This is really Ten Commandments #1: “You must not have any other god but me” (Ex. 20: 3 NLT). Yes, God wants that to be our priority.
Loving Heavenly Father. You want us to live for You. You want us to do Your Will. You will help us to accomplish that. We know that Your way is best. Help us to grow closer to You so that Your Will and Your ways become our norm. Forgive us when we take the focus off You and put it on us and this world. Grow us to prepare us for living with You throughout eternity. Amen.
What do you think?
Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
If you don’t understand something and would like further clarification, please contact me.
If you have not signed up for the email daily or weekly providing the link to the devotions and the newsletter, do so below.
If God has used this devotion to speak with you, consider sharing it on social media.