Asking the Question: “What is the Will of God?”
When I became a Christian at nineteen years old, I wondered at the idea of God’s will for my life. I was a sophomore in college, and it felt like one wrong choice could derail my future. In my prayers, I would ask the LORD, “What does it mean to ‘do’ or to ‘live’ according to Your will?”
My ideas of God’s will for my life were somewhat confused. I grew up watching movies and reading books that used terms like “fate” and “destiny” to describe the trajectory of human life and actions. So, I wondered, “Is God’s will just a Christian term for ‘fate’? Is everything about my life predetermined, such that I have no personal will or influence?” On the other hand, the greatest heroes talk of making their destiny, rising from the ashes to battle their way to eternal glory. So then, perhaps humans carve our destiny by acting boldly and taking action. But where does that leave God?
As a new Christian, I was burdened to understand the relationship between my actions today and God’s will for me someday. Without realizing it, my assumption was that the will of God is related primarily to some unknown potential future. I was thinking in the broadest terms about what God wanted of me thirty years from now and neglecting the meaningful actions of today that might fall within the “will of God.”
In his book, The Will of God as a Way of Life, Jerry Sittser explains, “The will of God concerns the present more than the future; it deals with our motives as well as our actions; it focuses on the little decisions we make every day even more than the big decisions we make about the future.”
When I first read these words, the idea blew my mind and changed my heart. Suddenly, I was confronted with the idea that finding “my destiny” simply meant being faithful in the little things and working to follow God one step at a time without knowing the path ahead.
At first, I was frustrated. After all, finding a “destiny” is romantic; it is satisfying. Finding the right path means knowing your exact purpose and allows you the security of knowing where you stand. Walking on the “right” path imparts confidence. And now, the possibility of finding that confidence had been swept away all at once.
Then came relief. If there wasn’t “one path” I had to find, I didn’t have to face the constant pressure of having to find the right path. I no longer faced the worry of walking on the wrong path, or worse, of never finding a path at all. Slowly, I changed how I asked that crucial question, “What is the will of God for the rest of my life?” Instead, I started thinking, “What is the will of God in my life today, at this moment, in this situation?”
Living one day at a time takes faith. There is comfort in having a long-term plan. For some people, faithfulness means following steps to take them where they expect to go. For me, it has taken me to places I never expected. When I became a Christian at 19, I had no idea that five short years later, I would be planning a move to Scotland with my new wife to pursue doctoral studies in theology. We ended up living in Scotland for more than five years, starting our family, and earning a couple of degrees. During that season, it was hard not to worry about the distant future. But, through prayer and time with the Lord, my wife and I knew that the Lord had called us to Scotland for a reason. Our unknown future was dependent upon our present faithfulness.
When God tells us, “Don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will bring its own worries,” this is not a call to passivity. It is a call to live each day in faithfulness and obedience to Him. To walk in the will of God, one step at a time.
As you and your child consider the next steps in your lives, whether that means working on college applications, deciding on courses to take next semester, or making a plan for the week, consider Sittser’s view of knowing God’s will. Instead of worrying about ending up in the right place in the future, work towards trusting God from one moment to the next.
Enlightium Academy is a private Christian online school that serves homeschooling families by offering a Bible-based, flexible, accredited, teacher-supported, and affordable education from the comfort of your home. For any other questions about Enlightium, please call (509) 319-2288, or visit EnlightiumAcademy.com.
