At times in life, we go through seasons when we don’t know what decisions to make, and would like to do whatever God’s will is.
But we find it difficult to determine what his will for our life is in specific areas.
In answer to today’s question: how do you know if something is God’s will?
I’d like to start answering you using this text from the Bible:
As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified(…);
| 1 Thessalonians 4:1, 3
Today, as I write these lines, I remember something that happened to me a few months ago, so I decided that today’s reflection would be somewhat a testimony.
A few months ago, I was praying a lot to the Lord that he would do his will and fulfill his purpose in my life.
I had always, from an early age, made my own decisions, without consulting God, according to my personal judgment.
But this time I wanted from the bottom of my heart to do something different.
I wanted to give God control over everything in my life.
A lot was happening at the time, and I was in a dark tangle of confusion about the future.
I remember my prayer was: “God, you decide. Serve your purpose and don’t let me spoil it.”
I kept moving forward with the confidence that God was in control of everything.
And that he was going to control the circumstances so that everything would happen in the best way.
After a while, I got to a point where there were several possibilities and options in front of me and I had to choose.
It was inevitable, I had to make my own decisions.
What a problem, I wasn’t willing to do it.
I didn’t want to.
It wasn’t the deal I had with God.
I had decision-phobia (it’s a joke word).
I started to battle with Him and tell Him, “I don’t want to decide, you decide”.
“Do your will.”
But, nothing happened.
So after a while, I began to give up and understand that the Lord was teaching me something.
I began to pray, asking God what his will was.
Election A, election B, election C.
What should I do?
I still remember how overwhelming it was not to be clear what God’s will was.
Maybe you’re going through a similar situation today.
The question is, Does God want us not to make decisions?
In the midst of all this, I began to do a Bible study on what God’s will is and how to discern it.
I remember I traced the word “will” all over the Bible to see what it was all about.
What a surprise I took.
I understood something I hadn’t seen before.
Perhaps I was wrong in my way of perceiving the subject.
I had been asking God about his will on specific issues in my life, and I had focused so much on that, that I hadn’t seen what his ultimate will is.
I stumbled upon today’s Bible text and several other texts.
By the light of the Holy Spirit, I concluded that God’s will is first and foremost our love and our obedience.
The Lord Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and everything else will come to you in addition.”
I could see clearly that the most important part of God’s will is already revealed in scripture for the vast majority of aspects of our lives.
We must study it in prayer to discern it.
I could see that his will is that we obey him, that we love him wholeheartedly, that we share that love of the world and that by the power of the Holy Spirit we cleanse our lives from sin.
After understanding that, everything changed.
Now I’m no longer overwhelmed with making decisions.
I have peace, for I know that God is in control of my life, and I try to live that life according to the will that he has revealed in his word.
In prayer, I ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom in making decisions and I ask God that if I still choose something that he does not have in his plans for me, to take it away or straighten it out.
I submit all these decisions to what is written in the word.
The Bible teaches that “The Lord straightens out our paths and paves our paths” and that the Lord will “give us counsel and show us the way we should walk.”
Let us sanctify our reason, wash it in the blood of Christ every day, and submit our minds and lives to God’s will.
Let us not forget that first of all his will is revealed in his word and if we do not have clarity, let us ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and ask God to remove from our path anything that is not in his purposes.
Thus, we will not be afraid to make decisions because we will try to choose first what pleases God.
He will take care of fulfilling his plans in our lives and leading us on paths of justice.
Are you going through a time when you don’t know what to do? Do you have questions about God’s will for your life? What is the circumstance you are going through? Let us know in the comments.
A hug and blessings.
