Finding God's Will

FINDING GOD’S WILL

For the person that wishes to obey God and find his purpose, knowing God’s will is central to life’s pilgrimage. How does one find out what God’s will is for him or herself?

The first task in finding God’s will is to live in his will as far as you know and can. This means living according to the basic principles that God has laid out for us. Jesus answered the question of the Young rich lawyer as he asked ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus asked him if he kept the commandments. The basic principles of right wrong do not go away. The person who actively and intentionally seeks to disobey God’s law is living outside of God’s will. They are not listening to God. Jacob is again an example of one who lived so much out of gods will that he found God only in the desert when he was not distracted by his material stuff, his family, or anything else. He found himself alone with God. To find God’s will you often need to find yourself alone with God. Or to be at “the end of your rope” or “hit bottom” and God finds you.

Most of us who are regular church going types of Christians know the basics of God will. We do Gods will in being honest treating others. It really is a help in finding God’s will to do as much of it as you know trusting God to inspire you with the next step in his will. I use the word inspire thinking of the Holy Spirit of God.

The question is then “What is his specific plan and will for my life?” It is an important subject witnessed by the success of such material as The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. To trust that God has a will for you is indeed an act of faith. You may not find out his will until you are in the middle of the task or calling. Moses was in God will long before he saw the burning bush. Paul was training all his life to do God’s will though he was in direct rebellion and persecution of the church. The point of this is that God may be busy working in your life before you recognize it. Many of the persons in the scripture made serious mistakes and committed serious sins against God’s will, but God is undeterred in moving forward his purposes.

God’s will is often in the journey and the process of life as well as the goal.

The Holy Spirit will direct and show his will to those who seek it.