Knowing The Will of God

24 May

Knowing the Will of God

When I was a teenager, I was stressed about knowing the will of God for my life. When I was ten years old, I decided I wanted to become an MD. A few years later, the father of a friend discouraged me from doing that, citing the terrible responsibility a doctor has for the care of her patients. I thought perhaps a career in nursing would do, but then I decided on a completely different direction during the summer before my senior year in high school. I decided to go into criminal justice and, in fact, received a scholarship at graduation based on my chosen career path. I don’t remember why I made such a drastic turn in my career choice except that, because of her own experiences in the Women’s Royal Canadian Navy, mom had nixed my decision to go into the navy as a nurse. The law enforcement aspect could have come from my great love of books, especially mysteries.

However, God had other plans for my life. In September after high school graduation I went on a two-year short-term evangelical mission with Literature Crusades (now called International Teams) to France. During that time I corresponded with my future husband, Dan, via snail-mail. Computers were in their infancy. Personal computers, email, social media, and video calls were non-existent five decades ago.

It seemed a full circle when I began a pre-nursing course at RCC upon my return to the United States. Shortly after, Dan asked me to marry him. Knowing I would be working while he went to school, I took a medical office training course in order to have marketable skills. We married and moved to Susanville so Dan could work on his Forestry degree. Nineteen years and three children later, I finally graduated with a degree and credential in Music Education.

How did I know it was God’s will to go on the mission trip? How did I know that it was God’s will for me to marry Dan? How did I know when it was God’s will for me to complete my education? For all three questions it was a matter of feeling that I needed to proceed forward until God closed the doors – and the doors never closed on those choices. I have no idea why God deferred my college education or why my lifelong love of music had never been a factor in my education goals when I was a teenager.

When we talk about God’s will, we are dealing with two different sources: God’s will for how we are to live our lives, holy unto God, as expressed in the Bible and God’s will for each individual’s life choices found only in our individual relationships with Him.

First, God’s will for how we are to live our lives on a daily basis is only found and comprehended in the Bible. 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” We as Christians are called to not only read the Bible, but also to meditate and study it. I recently heard someone say that Christians who don’t know the Bible are like soldiers who go into battle without ammunition.

We cannot know the will of God regarding our daily walk with Him unless we walk in His Word. How can we walk in His Word if we do not know His Word? Psalm 100:1-5 gives a clear outline of what our lives should be as His servants:

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.

Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.

Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves.

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.

Give thanks to Him, bless His name for the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.

Second, God’s will for each individual’s life choices are found only in our individual relationships with Him. This does not mean we leave the Bible out of those decisions that differentiate our lives from the lives of others. We have to remember the lessons from God’s Word when we make choices regarding our careers or lifelong relationships, for instance, because God calls us to holiness in every aspect of our lives (Eph. 5:27).

Are you wondering about marriage or a business partnership with an unbeliever? 2 Corinthians makes it clear that this is not God’s will: “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” Are you thinking of a career in an enterprise that is against the law or that hurts people? 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Is your career choice going to place you in a position in which God is not glorified? In 1 Timothy 6:8-9, we are also warned, “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.”

Beyond the warnings and instructions to Christians in general, the Bible does not tell us specifically who to marry or what career to follow. Most of the time God leads us inwardly, by the desires of our souls, towards those decisions. Other times He leads us through circumstances. Simply walk forward attentively and, if your direction is not God’s will, He will close the door. Don’t try to get around it by going in through a window when that happens. If it is God’s will, the way will be clear and each step will be made obvious to you in God’s own time.

Again, in order to recognize God’s leading and to make sure the desires of our souls are from Him, we need to be walking with God, seeking to know Him better through His Word, the Bible. As Proverbs 3:5-6 states, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”