“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 NIV
One common issue we often run across, myself included, it obsessing over God’s will for our lives. Firstly, there is no need to. God’s will is sovereign and we don’t have to worry about our ability to mess up His plans because we simply do not have the power to do so (Proverbs 16:9). God has the power to redirect our steps when they stray from His will, a great example is Paul’s conversion story when the Lord blinded him and completely redirected him (Acts 9:1-25). Paul was transformed into a man who came to write over half of the New Testament and went from persecuting Christians to being heavily persecuted by being such a passionate and outspoken follower of Christ.
Biblically speaking, God’s word doesn’t talk about a specific place we should live, what car we should buy, or how exactly we should spend our money. God’s will for our lives is much simpler than that. His will is that we be sanctified, that we would live holy, set apart lives (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8). God’s will for us is to rejoice in Him, pray continually, and show our gratitude through everything (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). The question is therefore not “What car should I buy?” but is “Am I seeking the Lord with all my heart, soul, and strength?” and “Have I put all my trust in the Lord?”
When we realize that God’s will for us is to seek Him and walk daily with Him, we have a newfound freedom and confidence in decision-making. So, love God, then do what you want. Do all these things in love (1 Corinthians 16:14). For if all we do is out of love for God, it will glorify Him, because it is done aligned with His desires and His will for us.
Challenge
Take steps to more actively seek the Lord daily in the Word and prayer.
Read the Book of Acts, take note of how Paul made decisions apart from direct guidance from God.
Buy, or borrow the book “Just do something” by Kevin DeYoung. Highly recommend reading it, and it inspired a lot of what I wrote in this WWW.
By Eunice Bartlett | Lincoln, NH