Knowing God’s Will for Your Life

If you came across a book titled "How to Know God’s Will for Your Life" in your local Christian book store, you would probably pick it up and at least read the table of contents. How often we have wondered what God  has called us to do! We feel unused, or out of the will of God, or just plain bored. We think if we only knew, then we would get on with our heavenly calling! We may have made several attempts to find out by going to seminary, or having someone prophesy over us, or becoming missionaries, or fasting and praying, or... 

However, after years of going through one disappointment after another, we just can’t seem to get into the spiritual groove. We’re clear about a lot of teachings, but we’re not clear as to how they apply to our specific walk.

It may come as a surprise to you, but the answer is not elusive nor is it ambiguous. Amazingly enough, you can know God’s will without too much more than spending a few minutes reading this tract. But first the question, What is God’s will for my life? should be rephrased into something more in tune with Holy Scripture. Let us ask rather, What is pleasing to God? Some of us think we have followed a specific calling, say, to join a certain church, or to become a church leader, or try being a missionary, or play in the band, only to find that it was not blessed by God and resulted instead in lack of faithfulness.

What is pleasing to God? The short answer to the question is contained in the question as rephrased; that is, God’s will for us is to please Him. If we could get that down into our inner man, then we wouldn’t struggle with so many things. Only too often, we fight against God’s will by pursuing avidly the things that God hates, in the name of God! But there is some danger in trying to force things upon ourselves by external means. Jesus condemned men who "made the outside clean, but were full of corruption within." It is very important to change the heart, but how can we, when we are accustomed to doing evil? Can the leopard change its spots? Can the Ethiopian change his skin color? We don’t get things down into our inner man by observing outward rules, convincing as that may be to others. A bad heart can’t be changed by simply tying another program or trying another church. We know, as Christians, that the only way we can change our hearts is by believing in Jesus Christ.

Let’s say you already know that, but you are still struggling with many issues in life, namely, where do you go from here? Your belief system doesn’t seem to be getting you anywhere. You have been reading all the latest how-to Christian books, you have been wearing all the WWJD jewelry, you have been wearing a new T-shirt every week proclaiming how you love Jesus, but something is missing. You’ve been to every Christian retreat, camping trip, seminar, marriage encounter, tea social, Christian rock concert and even a Christian rock hound. trip to the Holy Land. You attend church regularly, are active in all their ministries. You tithe. You speak in tongues. You keep Saturday Sabbath. Whatever.

The question here is: Do these things please God? The Answer may be found in The Bible.

So, assuming you are reading this and are really curious as to God’s will for your life, not someone else’s, then here is a simple list. Do these things and you will be a fulfilled Christian. Don’t do them and it will go very hard for you. If you just plain hate these things, perhaps you had better reexamine your faith.

1. Abstain from every form of fornication and adultery. This includes homosexuality, in case you are confused and have not the Spirit of God. If you feel you can flirt with fleshly passion and date to satisfy sexual urges, then you are deceived. If you cannot hold your vessel (your body) in honor, God will destroy you, and you don’t have to do the rest of the things on this list. Especially deadly is messing around with someone’s wife (or husband, as the case may be). If you think that when God destroys you that you will end up in heaven, you are seriously misled. If you are a "spirit-filled" abuser of your body, then you are twice condemned. Once, for being a pervert, twice, for being a hypocrite. If this sounds legalistic to you, then your conscience has probably been seared with a hot iron and none of this will get through to you. If you are having problems in this area but believe you are saved, then stop every outward show of religiosity and get away from those who corrupt you in this matter. Don’t go through the motions of being pious or God will give you over to worse things. God is pleased when we acknowledge that our bodies are not our own, but His.

2. Be quiet and mind your own business. The two go together. Busybodies are generally lazy and go to great lengths to waste their time and yours. They spend their time talking about every new tidbit, whether it be about another person or some strange doctrine. They are all experts and have read all the books and magazines. They participate in all the social gatherings of the church. Very often, they hold positions of power within the church, because they have used their false charm (the church calls it "love") and their knack for grasping others’ ministries away from them. The ones who mind their own business only too often fund these charlatans by tithing to the church. The ones who are quiet receive no attention from busy pastors. However, it is better to suffer this and please God. There is both future and present reward. God is pleased when we settle down.

3. Do alms. When Christ told us not to do alms to be seen of men, He meant for us not to be legalistic. The legalists have to cover up their greed by making sure every one knows about their charity. But do alms, and do them secretly. We are admonished to sell things we possess and give the proceeds to the poor. On the day of judgment, Christ will be using the yardstick of alms, not some erudite spiritual concept of love. Those who hate alms love to quote 1 Corinthians 13:3 in order to bring judgment upon themselves. True, the legalists try to emulate the work of the Holy Spirit in a man and confuse this by trying to work for their salvation. The blessed believer does not find pleasure by possession of goods; he has them only long enough to serve some useful purpose like spreading the gospel or helping the weak brothers. God is pleased when we consider the needs of others before our own.

4. Respect your elders. Especially those who are your ministers in Christ. This does not mean hero-worship, which is the norm for cults. Don’t confuse respect for blind adherence to opinions or tastes of others. Honor your teachers in the Lord with money. Not everyone you like is of God. As a matter of fact, you may not like your God-appointed leaders. You may not like Paul the apostle’s teaching on sex or money or marriage. You may especially hate his commandments regarding women. If your present minister does not obey Paul, I suggest you find another church. Kissing the Pope’s ring and submitting to a false church will in no wise please God. So, be careful to find a pastor who loves God, but do submit to his authority once you do. Be of service to him. If he enjoys the limelight and the power, if he surrounds himself with yes-men, if he is out to expand his church, if he is out to replace the husband as master of the home... welcome to the 21^st century church. As you are led, warn him. If he hears you and repents, you have gained a brother. If he insists on being the big shot, it’s time to move on. If he is heretical (sectarian), find another pastor. If you have a woman pastor, it’s time to start reading the Bible. God is pleased when we give respect to whom respect is due.

5. Don’t pretend to be humble by smiling a lot and ignoring things. If your brother is rebellious, lazy, disrespectful, tell him so, warning him. If he is weak in faith and frightful, encourage him to be stout in the Lord and follow those men and women who have given their very lives for the Lord Jesus Christ and his gospel. If you see someone in true need of physical or spiritual help, then maybe you had better cancel those self-indulgent plans, and give of your own time and money (if the church hasn’t taken it all). But don’t be deceived by the enemy on this matter of helping the weak. Paul instructs the church not to help the wanton sisters but to let them come under the authority of their husbands. The devil will rob you by having you minister ungodliness in the name of love. If you know a brother who is unruly (lazy, disobedient, rebellious, callous, etc.) then you should humble yourself and warn him sternly, not getting tangled up in his affairs. But if you see a brother who is wavering in his faith, you should warn him gently, encouraging him to follow the Lord and hang on, sympathizing with his plight, praying for him. If you come across a brother who is really in need physically or mentally, then give him some charity and don’t lie to yourself about love. In all cases, exercise great patience because you’re not doing this for the applause of men (mostly it’s a thankless job). God is pleased when we discern the right from the wrong and are not afraid to act on it.

6. Don’t take vengeance. This is real hard for people in America today. We are a society that sues, turns in their neighbor, gets even. Fear runs the show. The average Christian wilts before a bully and calls it love, then turns around and sues his fellow Christian in an outrage of righteous indignation. It is all covered up in church protocol, but the Lord knows the hearts. We should rather do good to our enemy. We don’t kiss him, but we show him Christ’s love which harbors no affection for the wicked, only forgiveness. We are not here talking about affairs of state, which are given to the secular rulers to lord over. Do not apply Christian virtue to government or you will become ensnared in hypocrisy. We are here talking of personal vengeance. Don’t take out your frustration on someone else. Seek the welfare of those around you, not their destruction. God is pleased with the peacemakers.

7. Rejoice in the Lord! Jesus said that when you began to see the foundations of the age shaken, to lift up your head, for your redemption draws near! If you are whining and complaining, then you lack faith. Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but it does rejoice in the truth. So, if you know the truth, then rejoice! God is pleased when we exult in Him.

8. Pray always. You cannot pray enough. Ask God, who gives all things freely, and you will receive. If you do not pray, do not expect anything. If you pray, do so expectantly. If you don’t know how to pray, get down on your knees and ask God to help you. Then you’ll know for certain. Don’t pretend, and God will be pleased.

9. Give thanks to God. This truly pleases him. If you are under a test and everything is negative, give him thanks for testing you. Give him thanks for putting up with you. Give him thanks for not delivering you over to the evil one. You may not be lighthearted, but you can still give thanks, and give it very well.

10. Don’t quench the Holy Spirit. God cares for you and ministers to you his Spirit. You may take this lightly, or may not understand how holy the Holy Spirit is. He is not upset or indignant, because love is not provoked. He is patient and kind. But he is grieved by our faithlessness and our callousness. Let us consider how precious the Holy Spirit is, and act becomingly.

11. Don’t despise prophetic messages. This ties in with Don’t quench the Holy Spirit. Sure, there are lots of people running around nowadays who claim to be prophets and prophetesses. They have their followers and their reward. But don’t let the faithless pull you down into thinking God cannot speak through his own people. And he speaks to you that way. So don’t grieve the Spirit by being hard-hearted and arrogant. Listen for God.

12. Prove all messages. Reject the false, hold on to the good. This ties in with the last two items. Not all people who prophesy are prophesying the truth. They are empty clouds, blown here and there by the winds. They appeal to men because they have great prophetic-sounding messages and men like that instead of what’s good for them. But if you don’t grieve the Spirit, and you don’t despise prophecies altogether, then you have been given the awesome task of sorting through the information and choosing the right stuff. If you don’t know how to sort through things, I suggest you start reading your Bible.

13. Abstain from every appearance of evil. This is a hard one, because it is the last one. But we are to remain aloof from everything that smacks of wrongdoing. Don’t swipe pens from work. Don’t fudge facts in your favor. Don’t hang around bars or dance clubs. Don’t smoke dope or visit porn sites. You know the score. If you are filled with the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. So, if you put your affections on things above, not on things of this earth, you will be cleansing yourself from every excess of sinful desire and you can draw near to God with a clear conscience and full assurance of faith. This is pleasing to God.

There you have it. That’s pretty much 1Thessalonians 4 and 5. It may not be the four spiritual laws, but it is spiritual. If by reading this tract you have felt legalism nipping at your toes, maybe you confuse obedience to God with keeping the Law. If you feel these things are an unbearable burden, then it is time to reexamine your faith. No, if we have the Spirit of Christ we can rejoice in the above commandments. His yoke is easy and his burden is light. Where does it say in the Law that our bodies are not our own, but we are dead to sin and alive to God, that we have been bought with the precious blood of Christ and that’s why we possess our vessels in honor? The Sermon on the Mount, for instance, shows us the commandments in the light of the truth that is in Jesus Christ.

Throughout the epistles we are told about things that please God. If we sin (and we all sin), we can still please God by confessing our sin and turning from it. We can have a clear conscience and proceed on in Christ. He can transform our lives if we will submit to his will. If you want God to put his approval on a particular career or car purchase or similar carnal agenda, you can know right now that attitude does not please God. He is not in the rubber stamp business. If you are tossed by circumstances (and we all are), be patient and keep praying. We must all go through some sort of fiery trial.

One important passage has been left out, starting with 1 Thessalonians 4:13 and ending with 5:11. It is one of the most beautiful passages about the coming of the Lord and the reason why we serve him anyway. Do the honorable thing and check out 1 Thessalonians for yourself. 2 Peter 1:5-11 is also illuminating. May God bless you.