What Is God’s Will?

In review of 1 Corinthians 1:9 I read, “God will surely do this for you, for he always does just what he says, and he is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, even Christ our Lord.”

(TLB)

God is not playing games with me. He wants me to understand his will, purpose, and plan for my life. I may say, “I want God to guide me, but still get confused. I don’t know what to do.” Often the problem is I’m looking for the wrong thing. I need to know what I’m looking for before I can find it.

So, what is God’s will?

1. God’s will is not a feeling. I may be looking for a feeling or a supernatural sign. I may want God to pull my heartstrings so I’ll know exactly what to do. The problem is that feelings are unreliable; they will often guide me the wrong way. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful” (NIV). Even your heart plays tricks on you. Even the devil can create a feeling. Don’t wait for a feeling when I’m trying to figure out God’s plan for my life.

2. God’s will is not a formula. In our culture, we want everything to be easy. We want things to follow a simple formula so it will instantly change our lives. We want a step-by-step guide. But there’s a problem with this approach: There’s no room for mistakes. God’s will is not a closed system. It is dynamic! It is not always an issue of choosing A or B. In fact, many times you can choose from A to Z, and any of them will be okay. It’s my choice. Why would God give me a brain and not expect me to use it? He lets me make choices, and he gives me second chances.

So, if God’s will is not a feeling or a formula, then what is it?

God’s will is a relationship. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1:9, “God . . . invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, even Christ our Lord” (TLB).

There is very little in the Bible about the technique of knowing God’s will. But there are thousands of verses that talk about developing a loving relationship with Jesus Christ. Why? Because God’s will is a relationship.

The better I get to know him, the less confusion I’m going to have about what his will is. When I get to know God, everything else becomes secondary.

In summary, God invited me into a wonderful relationship with his Son, Jesus Christ my Lord. God is not playing games with me. He wants me to understand his will, purpose, and plan for my life. But I need to know what I'm looking for before I can find it. So, what is God's will? It is not a feeling, as feelings are unreliable and will often guide me in the wrong way. It's also not a formula. I'd like a simple formula or step by step guide that will instantly change my life. However God's will is not a closed system. It's not always an issue of choosing A or B, in fact many times I can choose A to Z, and any of them will be okay. It's my choice. He lets me make them, and also gives me second chances. So if it's not a feeling or a formula, what is it? God's will is a relationship. There are thousands of verses that talk about developing a loving relationship with Jesus. So the better I get to know him, the less confusion I"m going to have about what his will is. When I get to know God, everything else becomes secondary

I think that any feeling I get would only be reliable if it lines up with what is in His Word. God allows me to make choices and mistakes, so that I can learn to trust Him. I can grow by continuing to pursue a relationship with him. I need my daily time with him to get to know him better, love like he does and be of use to him today, tomorrow and in the future.

I pray this morning that I would just rely on my feelings or blindly follow a formula, but rather keep you in my heart throughout the day and into my daily interactions and choices. I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my tasks, my leadership and my interaction with others. May my words and actions be filled with grace and the love you show for me. These things I ask in your Son Jesus name, Amen.