When I give people directions to get to my house, I tell them to veer left when they get to a "Y" in the road. Sometimes I wish there were such clear directions for my life. I often get to places in my journey where I am just not sure which way to go. There are no signs pointing one way or the other and I feel completely lost.
Am I the only one who feels that way?
What I really want is a spiritual GPS that I take with me every day that will tell me where to go. I don't ever want to get lost or feel stuck in-between in some no-man's land. When I come to a junction in my life where I have to choose between A or B, I want my GPS to tell me which way to go. I want to hear, “At the T-junction ahead, you will have to select between two jobs, turn right to take Job B.”
I often think to myself, "I just want to know God's will for my life." But what I really want to know is the future. More than a GPS, I want a crystal ball that shows me everything that lies ahead in my life. But knowing the future is something only God can do. He is the only one who sees all things and knows all things. In fact, he planned each of our days before one of them came to be. As David wrote, "in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them" (Psalm 139:16).
While we can't know the future, we can know God's will for us because that's something God has already given us. "I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). Everything God wants us to know and do is in his word. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” We may not be able to see what lies ahead over the next hill but God’s word will illumine the way before us.
1. Pray
The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). When you want to know what God wants you to do, pray. Pray for his will to be done. Pray that your heart would be yielding and trusting. Pray for wisdom and discernment. God hears and he uses our prayers to carry out his will.
Image Credit: Thinkstock.com
2. Trust
Over and over Scripture tells us trust God. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). We are not to depend on ourselves, our own strength, our own abilities but in God. We must trust in his love for us and believe in his goodness and faithfulness. “And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you” (Psalm 9:10).
Image Credit: ©Thinkstock.com
3. Wait
Sometimes God’s will is for us to wait. Sometimes he wants to use us right there at that “T” junction in our life. Or that "T" junction might be the place where we learn and grow in our faith in ways we can't otherwise. Waiting is a good thing. It causes to reflect on God, to rely on him, to seek him. Lamentation says, “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (3:25-26).
Image Credit: ©Thinkstock.com
4. Obey
God also wants us to obey. When we don’t know what to do in a situation, we are called to obey. "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3). When it comes to making choices and decisions, what choice will obey God?
Image Credit: Unsplash.com
5. Seek Him first
Above all, our greatest desire should be God. More than anything else in life, above all the pleasures and cares of this world, God should be our greatest love. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” When our greatest delight is God then our desires will naturally align with his. And he’ll only give us more and more what we desire, himself. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). When you wonder what God's will is, seek him first.
6. Pursue what brings im glory
The Westminster Confession says that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Paul puts it this way, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). From the way we eat to anything else we do, things grand to the everyday little things, we are to do it all to his glory and fame. When we pursue what brings God glory, we are doing his will.
Are you at a "T" junction in your life? Seek God in his Word and there you will find his will for you.
Image Credit: Unsplash.com
Christina Fox writes for a number of Christian ministries and publications including Desiring God and The Gospel Coalition. She is the author of A Heart Set Free: A Journey Through the Psalms of Lament (Christian Focus, 2016). You can find her at www.christinafox.com.
Originally published Monday, 17 April 2017.
