Detemining the Will of God

for Your Life

Determining God's will is the number area of concern for most of the people I have mentored over the years. I receive more requests to deliver workshops, give messages and provide individual counseling to people in this area than any other. Relating to the opposite sex is a close second. Understandable when you realize I have been investing in college aged men and women most of my life.

Over the years, I've picked up some good ideas from others, developed some of my own and tweaked them all.

The general will of God is for everyone. God clearly tell us things He does or does not want us to do. They apply to everyone all the time. No need to ask God specifically if He wants you to sleep with your girlfriend or boyfriend if you aren't married. No need to ask God if it's o.k. to complain about your boss or your Calculus instructor. No need to ask God if you can repay “evil for evil.” He has been very clear on those things.

Here's what we know.

1. Avoiding Sexual Immorality.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 says “It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;” We can debate what sexual immorality is. We cannot debate whether or not it is God's will for us to engage in sexually immoral behavior.

God says “No” to sexually immoral behavior. I consider any type of sexual activity outside of a marriage relationship to be sexual immorality. That includes hooking up with someone you aren't married to, self-gratification and pornographic stimulation. You may disagree. You may have different guidelines for what is or is not sexually immoral. You are entitled to those opinions. But this is my web page, so I am offering my guidelines on the subject.

However you define it, engaging in sexual immorality is outside the will of God for everyone.

2. Being joyful, Praying continually, Giving thanks.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”

These are my favorite things regarding the general will of God. God expects me to be joyful always, pray continually and give thanks for everything. Being joyful and giving thanks for everything is a reminder that everything God allows to happen to me is best.

When I catch myself grumbling and complaining, I realize I do not believe God is good in those circumstances. He has orchestrated a perfect scenario for me. A chance to grow in patience or humility or servant hood or maybe just submission to His will. He wants me to mature into being like the Lord Jesus Christ. He wants what is absolutely best for me. And here I am complaining about it!

Joy and thanks serve as reminders that God's plan is best and His will is sovereign.

Continual praying sounds like an impossibility at first. And while we may never arrive at a place where we are continually praying, we can work toward that goal. Just like we work toward always being joyful and giving thanks for everything.

Always, continually and everything. Not a lot of wiggle room. I need to work on these all the time.

3. Do Good

1 Peter 2:15 says “For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.”

God's general will for all of us is that we do good. This one seems like common sense. Everybody wants to do good right? Maybe. But then there has to be some reason God wanted Peter to include this in his letter. Maybe everybody doesn't want to do good all the time. I know I don't. There are times when I want to do bad things.

We do well to heed this command and meditate on how we can do more good for the glory of God and in obedience to His will.

As you study the Bible, you will discover other commands you will consider to be the general will of God. Be sure to add them to your list of things you don't need to ask God about because He has already given you instructions on these.

For those things in life where the Bible gives no specific instructions, such as, who you should marry, what major you select in college, should you change jobs, what kind of car should you buy or what color socks should you wear today. To determine the answers to these questions, you will have to determine the specific will of God for you.

I don't plan to debate whether or not God cares what color socks you wear, what kind of car you buy, or what major you select in college. I will let you decide which areas of your life you need to ask God about.

As you mature as a child of God, it becomes increasingly easier to determine which areas of your life God wants to give you specific input on. For now, it's sufficient for you to live as much of your life as you can in obedience to God. As such, you will want to seek the will of God for your life when faced with difficult decisions.

One thing I have noticed over the years is people do sometimes make the wrong choices. As they look back, they realize God did or did not want them to do something and they refused to do it.

While that's not an ideal scenario, it's important to grow in your ability to determine the will of God. If you don't try because you fear you will make the wrong decision, then you will never grow at figuring out what God wants from you.

Here are a couple of techniques I've found useful for determining the will of God for my life. I've taught them repeatedly to people I mentor and in workshops of up to 100. They are well received. When I've had a chance to follow-up with people who've tried them, they report increased confidence in their ability to determine what God wants them to do.

The Will of God Hand Illustration

This is the “go to” method. All things being equal, I select this approach. I recommend it most often. I suggest other people use it. Unfortunately, you can't use it to figure out God's will for someone else's life. It only works on you.

But you can learn it, practice it, and then teach it to others.

The Will of God Hand Illustration

And for when you absolutely, positively have to decide right NOW what God wants you to do

There is:

The 6-8-10 Principle

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