Walking in HIS Will

March 22, 2011 in Living our Faith, Youth/College Ministry with 25 Appreciated Comments

During the last nine years working with college students, there’s been one question that has creeped up time and time again:

How do I find out God’s will for my life?

These students are making decisions that could impact the rest of their lives – picking a college to attend, declaring majors, determining what organizations they should be involved in, who they should date, what courses they should take, what job they should pursue after college…

And they’re worried they will make the wrong decision and not be in God’s will.

I don’t know about you, but it’s something I still struggle with from time to time.

For the longest time, I had this idea that God has a specific, detailed plan for my life: where I should go to school, what I should major in, where I should live, the line of work I should do, who I should marry, when I should have kids, when I should change jobs or careers, if I should pursue my master’s, if I should lead a missions trip, even down to how I should spend my day.

And if I made the wrong decision, if I made to move before God wanted me to, if I chose the wrong major, the wrong job, the wrong place to live…

…I would never get where God wanted me to be.

I know I’m the only one who thinks that way.

We read these stories in scripture about men and women who had these great calls of God on their lives, who heard God clearly say what they were supposed to do, who’s whole lives led up to one defining moment that changed the course of history…

and we expect it to be the same for us – that we’ll know the path, we’ll know what God is doing, we’ll know how the story ends and what choices we have to make today.

But when you really study those stories, when you realize that these men and women didn’t know the end of the story, this idea of God’s will begins to look differently.

Abraham lived to be 75 years old before God called him to move to a country he didn’t know.
Moses worked for his father-in-law for 40 years before he had his burning bush moment.
David tended sheep for years before and after he received the call to be king.
Even Jesus lived a pretty normal Jewish life for 30 years before being released into His calling.

These men made decisions about their lives, their careers, where they would live, who they would marry, when they would have kids, what they would study, what they would do with their lives, some were even ready to go into retirement, before they ever knew God’s will for their lives.

And God still used them – mistakes and all.

So maybe God’s will isn’t some path we have to have figured out.
Maybe it’s not something we get early on in life and follow through until we die.
Maybe it’s more than just blindly following a plan that someone else sets for us.

Maybe, just maybe, God’s will is more beautiful than that.

“A man’s steps are directed by the LORD.” Proverbs 20:24

The longer I walk with God, the more I seek Him, the more I pursue Him rather than His blessings, the more I see that my desires have become His desires and that He is using my passions, my talents, my circumstances to nudge me into the path He has for my life.

And if I make a mistake, if I make a wrong decision, if I screw up and blow it…

He’s capable enough to get me back on the right path.

That gives me freedom to move forward, knowing that God will shut the doors He doesn’t want me to walk through.

What passions, desires, or circumstance could God be using to nudge you into His will for your life?

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About Jason Vana: Jason is an imaginative leader with a heart to ignite younger generations to impact the world for Christ. He currently lives in Monmouth, Illinois, and oversees Ignite Student Ministries - a dynamic ministry to ignite youth, young adults and university students to passionately pursue Christ and transform society in high schools, work places and universities around the world.

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http://www.messiahmom.wordpress.com kristinherdy

My wedding invitations read “desiring God’s will for their lives, and believing that includes each other…” Honestly, that was the biggest and baddest and worst part of getting divorced, admitting that I had acted rashly seeking His will in the first place.

God made something beautiful out of it – two somethings beautiful out of it, but I can’t say now that I was following God’s will when I got married, at 20, and, I’ll be honest, to have sex.

I have a heavier heart about God’s will now. It’s not something I want to claim I know what his will entails. We work with what he gives, and sometimes choose foolishly, but you’re so right that it doesn’t mean that choice can’t still be used for the good.

http://www.jasonvana.com/about Jason Vana

“It’s not something I want to claim I know what his will entails.”

That’s exactly the point I was trying to make – we sometimes think that we know the will God has for us, or that we need to know the will He has for us, but when you look at these great men and women of the bible – sometimes they didn’t find out until much later in like what God’s will was. The rest of the time, they were seeking God, but He was directing them not but showing them His will, but by orchestrating their circumstances and using every decision they made to prepare them for the work He had for them.

http://www.mustardseedyear.com Jason

Well, I’m hoping losing my job is steering me into what He wants to do.

http://www.jasonvana.com/about Jason Vana

Amen! I’m praying it does for you!

http://acalledlife.blogspot.com Mindy

I love this reminder. I’m like you where I can get stuck in the mindframe that there is only one right path. So what happens is that I wait and wait for my neon sign, only to find myself having made very little progress. I want to be used by God and I want to serve God will all the strengths/desires that He has given me (hence why I’m now looking for a new job/ministry). If it involves coffee, middle-school students, and teaching the Bible, I will be delighted.

http://www.jasonvana.com/about Jason Vana

I’m with you, Mindy, and have seen it true for so many other people. We get caught up looking for the one right path, that we end up doing nothing. I have to believe that if I truly am following God, if I am seeking Him, then the desires I have in my heart are His desires. And if I walk through an opportunity that isn’t what He wanted, He’ll course correct and bring me back. Or He’ll shut the door so I stay in His will.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that we don’t pray or seek God’s counsel in decisions, just that it’s ok to move forward as God will be with us.

http://acalledlife.blogspot.com Mindy

It’s like a sailboat. We move, in His power. We use our strengths, our tools, and set our eyes on a horizon. But God is the rudder and it’s important that we give him the ability to change our course. However, the rudder can only change directions if the boat is moving. It doesn’t do much good when the boat is in port. (Not that God’s effectiveness is dependent on me…but you know what I mean, hopefully).

http://www.jasonvana.com/about Jason Vana

I totally get what you’re saying Mindy, and definitely agree. There definitely have been times I’ve desired something and prayed for it, and God said no. Or times when He has used my circumstances to steer me where He wants me to go (maybe because I didn’t hear Him clearly or was too afraid or doubted whether it was God or me.). For instance – a few months ago, I turned my ministry into its own nonprofit so we could expand to other schools, raise support, etc. It’s something I had felt I needed to do for a while, but didn’t know how to go about it and, at that point, the church where I was on staff allowed me to run our finances through them. But then there was a change of leadership, I was told I couldn’t keep running my finances through them (and a lot of other stuff that led me to leave the church) – and so because I was going to lose the $1000+ we had to impact the college, I went through the process of starting my own non-profit.

Sometimes He shows us His will through the circumstances He takes us through.

http://www.tonyjalicea.com Tony Alicea

I know exactly what you mean bro. I struggled with this for a long time. I’ve come to terms with believing that the will of God is obedience. When we follow Him and His ways, we will be guided by Him. At least that’s how I interpret a similar passage in Proverbs:

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” Prov. 16:9

I interpret that as God giving us freedom to make our own choices. But as we are obedient to Him, we will be open to His guidance. In the same way, I don’t believe there is a “right” person for you to marry. I believe God gives us choice. Sure, we can make “better” choices than others. But ultimately, it comes down to obedience. That usually steers us in the right direction.

That was way oversimplified but my thoughts on this in a nutshell.

http://www.jasonvana.com/about Jason Vana

I couldn’t agree with you more, Tony. This is more the mindset I’ve been taking in regards to the Will of God for my life. I heard Donald Miller describe it as God being a parent who gives us the tools we need and guides us by giving us His truth and direction, but let’s us paint the picture of our lives through our decisions.

I really like that idea.

http://www.endlessimpact.com jasonS

He created us with a purpose and He does reveal those things. We can make things way too difficult (as religion often does). It’s incredible to think that we can dream with God and God responds to his people (think of David and the temple, totally David’s idea). It truly is relationship. He gives us parameters and then we explore and passionately pursue Him. Great post, Jason. Thanks.

http://www.jasonvana.com/about Jason Vana

“It’s incredible to think that we can dream with God and God responds to his people.”

I love this statement. It was actually a few years ago that I began thinking differently in regards to God’s will, and it all started with the idea that, if I truly am getting closer to God and He is changing my heart to be more like Him, wouldn’t the desires I have for my life really be the desires God has given me?

It’s brought me a lot of freedom to move forward in different areas in my life.

http://www.taterhouse.blogspot.com Ryan Tate

Great post Jason.

As a young man I too searched for the grandiose plan that God had laid out for my life. But God was showing and giving me his will through the small moments and decisions and not through some heroic narrative. I believe it’s much more simple than we think and God’s will is found in the daily activities and moments. It isn’t written in the stars to be deciphered, but it’s found in the helter skelter of the daily rumblings. Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks (1 Thess 5;16-18) is one way Paul described God’s will for our lives.

http://www.jasonvana.com/about Jason Vana

“It isn’t written in the stars to be deciphered, but it’s found in the helter skelter of the daily rumblings.”

I love this – and it’s so true. I believe some people do have the grandiose plan that’s full of heroics and larger than life mission but, even in those situations, it wasn’t always something God laid out for them from the beginning, but something that came about through time – through doing the little things with an attitude of following God.

Great thoughts Ryan!

http://jonathanpearson.net Jonathan Pearson

Great thoughts here man!

http://www.jasonvana.com/about Jason Vana

Thanks Jonathan!

http://betachristian.net Moe

I once knew a guy who used to wake up in the morning and ask God what color tie he should wear to work. (true story).

I don’t think God is so intertwined that we can’t make our own decisions. This is why he gave us intelligence, so that we may make our own mind about things. To Tony’s point above, I think that when we walk in obedience to God, he will lead us in the right path. I think at the end of our life, we would all admit that we could have done things differently, but we will all end up on the Lord’s will at the end.

re: marriage. This is just pure speculation, but after Adam’s “the woman that you gave me” excuse, God is not so interested in giving wives and/or husbands to people and then when they go sour for us to blame him. He does give choice.

http://www.jasonvana.com/about Jason Vana

Great thoughts Moe! This is more and more how I have been viewing the will of God in my life over the past 2-3 years. If I am being obedient to Him, if I am truly seeking Him and letting my heart and mind become more like His, then when I make a decision, it will be more apt to be in line with HIs will. And if I make a mistake, He will do a course correct.

As far as your comment on marriage – definitely and interesting thought, and very possibly true! I don’t believe that there’s one person and one person only out there for me. I just haven’t found a good choice yet.

http://ichrch.com Rich Langton

I love this post!! This is an area that I think is so misunderstood in Christianity today. The will of God. The calling on your life. Your destiny. These are all ways to describe this hidden plan that God has for us that, for some reason, He is apparently holding back… He’s not telling!

The way I see it, is more so that when God calls, we respond. He has called us to a Gospel life…. one that is centered around Him and His good news of reconciliation. Once we know that, then everything else becomes clearer… where we outwork this calling could be anywhere, and is more about our gifting, our hearts desires, and where we find ourselves!!

In all circumstances, in everything we do we are to reflect God’s love for his creation. This is the highest of all callings! That all will be reconciled to him is His utmost will!

http://www.jasonvana.com/about Jason Vana

Thanks for stopping by the blog Rich!

I agree with you – it seems even in scripture that God’s will is more that we follow Him and His truth and when He calls us/tells us to do something, we do it. We don’t need to have this pre-laid out agenda of what God is going to do with us in 40 years. We just need to follow His leading for today and tomorrow, and He will work everything out according to his will.

http://www.projectmathetes.wordpress.com Donald Borsch Jr

Dig this, if you would. The Will of our Father is not rocket science. We want it to be, we need it to be, but…it is quite simple.

http://wp.me/p1cSpx-W

http://www.jasonvana.com/about Jason Vana

Thanks for stopping by Donald – and you are right, it really is quite simple. I think a lot of times we are taught that it is hard, or that it’s some super elaborate plan that if you take one wrong step you are outside the will of God, but it really is just about listening to His voice.

http://www.projectmathetes.wordpress.com Donald Borsch Jr

Jason,

My biggest concern is that we fall into the human-logic reasoning that God’s will must always be viewed as a future thing, as if He is playing some kind of “If you do this, (pick some ridiculous works-based action), then I will do this, (pick some heart desire you might have), for you”. Today is His will for us. Here. Now. It is not hidden and we must vainly search for it like some kind of twisted game of hide and seek.

Since He is indeed our Father, and His ways are good and His heart is always postured towards us, why would we assume He has some huge and mysterious will for us that needs to be fasted for, prayed for, and waited upon? It’s all right there. In the red letters, if you will. And our station, our positions, our roles in His Kingdom, do not matter to Him. His will is the same for the lowest of us to the most exalted of us.

I wouldn’t say I am right. I would simply say I have found tremendous fruit and blessings in considering His will as these three precepts. Try them on, Jason. See how they fit on you!

Blessings to you and yours, Jason, in the mighty Name of Jesus our LORD!

http://abrahamchronicles.com dustin

I always love reading Rom 12:1-2:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

http://www.jasonvana.com/about Jason Vana

So powerful! I actually spent time at the retreat talking about what it means to renew our minds. Thanks for sharing Dustin!