A Summary of God's Will

Be conformed to the universal will of God. Make it your goal to obey God's revealed will concerning salvation—living in the Spirit, sharing your faith, obeying your parents, remaining sexually pure, and so on. Use the 4C Process regarding God's universal will: CHOICE (right or wrong), COMPARE (the precepts, principles and the person of God) , COMMIT (to God's ways, not yours), and COUNT (on God's provision and protection). See earlier blogs.

Be informed about the specific will of God. Submit every decision to the four step process of seeking God's will in the Bible, seeking God's will through prayer, seek God's will through the counsel of others, and seek God's will through your circumstances. See earlier blogs.

Do what you want. Live with confidence that God will give you the desires of your heart as long as your number one desire is to serve Him. Cultivate a daily walk of faith, believing that if your desires are not God's will, He will let you know.

Don't worry about the future. God is sovereign and your future is in His hands, so don't worry about college, marriage, your career, or anything else. Simply say daily, "Lord, I want to do what You want." Then it is up to Him to work in you to accomplish His will and fulfill your desires.

Do What You Want (continued)

Seeking God's will is done most effectively through a four step process. Seeking God's will in the Bible and seeking God's will in prayer have been discussed. Here are the remaining two:

Seek God's will in the counsel of others. God has placed wise, mature Christians in your life to help you discern God's specific will. Your parents, grandparents, other family members, your youth leader, your Sunday school teacher, and your minister may fill this role. Seeking the objective opinion of others may keep you from making an emotional decision on your own. Also, a mature believer can speak from a background of experiences you may not have.

Seek God's will in your circumstances. God often directs us through external circumstances that are seemingly beyond our control. For example, you may have a special aptitude for music and be offered a generous scholarship. But suppose you have no resources for college. Just because circumstances seem to be against you does not mean a music career is not in God's specific will for your life. Circumstances must be balanced by Scripture, prayer, and the wise counsel of others.

Let's assume that you are conforming your life to God's universal will (salvation, submission, life in the Spirit, etc.) and you have sought His specific will in Scripture, prayer, counsel, and circumstances. How do you decide what to do? Simply do what you want to do. Psalm 37:4 promises, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." You are free to follow the desires of your heart! And believe that if your desires are somehow not in God's will, He will make it clear to you.

Scripture and Prayer

"So once I am committed to following God's universal will," you may say, "how do I discover
God's specific will day by day?" Seeking His will is done most effectively through a four step process:

Seek God's will in the Bible. Knowing Scripture is basic to seeking and understanding God's will. For example, you don't have to wonder whether God wants you to marry an unbeliever, because 2 Corinthians 6:14 states, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" If your idea of God's specific will for you doesn't line up with Scripture, then it's your will, not God's.

Seek God's will in prayer. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:9-10). God is not hiding His will from you; He is willing and able to give you the direction you seek. Ask Him for it daily and as often as you need to. To be continued.

Commit and Count

The 4C Process helps you make right moral choices in conformity with God's universal will. CHOICE and COMPARE have been discussed. The next two are:

C3. COMMIT to God's way. Once you have compared your selfish desires to God's absolute
standard, you must choose between your way and God's way. Nobody can do this for you. You must consciously turn from your selfish way and firmly commit to God's way.

C4. COUNT on God's protection and provision. When you admit God's sovereignty and submit to His loving authority, you can begin to count on His protection and provision. This doesn't mean everything will be rosy. In fact, God says pretty bluntly that you will suffer at times for choosing to live by His standard of righteousness. But living God's way brings many spiritual blessings, like freedom from guilt, a clear conscience, the joy of sharing Christ, and, most important, the blessing of God in your life. You may also enjoy many physical, emotional, psychological, and relational benefits when you commit to God's ways. While God's protection and provision should not be the primary motivation for obeying Him, it certainly provides powerful encouragement for choosing His will.

Compare: Precepts, Principles, Person

The 4C Process helps you make right moral choices in conformity with God's universal will. CHOICE was discussed last time. The next is:

C2. COMPARE it to God. Compare your choice of action to the nature and character of God. First, compare your choice to God's precepts— the rules, regulations, codes, and requirements of Scripture. Are there specific Bible passages that tell you what to do in this instance?

Second, compare your choice to a universal principle based on Scripture. Principles help explain the "why" behind the precepts. For example, the basic principle behind "You shall not give false testimony" (Exodus. 20:16) is honesty. The principle behind "You shall not murder" (Exodus. 20:13) is love. Is there a scriptural principle that applies to the choice you need to make?

Third, compare your choice to the person of God. The precepts and principles of Scripture ultimately point us to God. Moses prayed, "If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you" (Exodus. 33:13). Moses recognized that learning God's ways—understanding His precepts and the principles behind them—would help him grow to know the person of God Himself. When you compare a specific choice or course of action to God, you will begin to see the will of God more clearly. To be continued.

What Should I Do?

It is important to understand that God most often reveals His specific will a day at a time. Many Christians pray, "What is Your will for me for next month, next year, or for my life?" But God seldom works that way. In John 16:12, Jesus told His disciples, "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear." If God told you what you would be doing fifteen years from now, it might blow you away. So He unfolds His will a step at a time or a day at a time so we can "bear it."

There is a process to help you make right moral choices in conformity with God's universal will. It's called the 4C Process. Suppose a teacher asks you if you have completed a reading assignment. Saying no will hurt your grade, but you have barely begun the reading. What do you say? Or imagine that a friend tells you some juicy gossip about one of the families in your church, and you are just itching to pass it on to someone else? What should you do? The 4C Process will help you decide God's will in such situations.

C1. Consider the CHOICE. Every one of these "little" choices represents a choice between right and wrong. Every decision represents an opportunity to select either God's will or your own way. Consider the choice means to stop and ask yourself, "Who determines what is right or wrong in this situation?" It should help you remember that your choice is not between what you think is right and wrong; it's between what is objectively right and wrong regardless of what you think. To be continued.

God's Specific Will

God's universal will is clear and indisputable because it is spelled out in His Word. Trusting Christ, submitting totally to Christ, being filled with the Spirit, obeying your parents and remaining sexually pure were already discussed. Here's the last one:

Share your faith. Christians need never ask God, "Should I share my faith with others?" God's will is already revealed in this area—for all believers. Jesus commanded, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20). God's will is that you share your faith with all nations—not just those across the ocean but also with those across the hall and the lunch table.

As you set your heart to obey these and other facets of God's clearly revealed will in Scripture, you are in the perfect spot to discover God's specific will for your life. It doesn't matter which question you are asking right now: Whom should I date or marry? What school should I attend? What major should I declare? What classes should I take? What career should I prepare for? Or any of dozens of other seemingly important and urgent decisions you may face. By committing yourself to follow God's universal will, you open the door for God to reveal His specific will for your life.

It's God's Will

God's universal will is clear and indisputable because it is spelled out in His Word. Trusting Christ and submitting totally to Christ were discussed last in the last blog. Here are more examples.

Be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:17-18 states: "Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." The Holy Spirit entered your life at the moment of salvation. God desires to permeate your life, to control every corner of your life through His Spirit, who is already in you. It is God's will that you allow Him to fill you day by day.

Obey your parents. God's will for all students is that they live in obedience to their parents. (I will not discuss the exceptions of abuse). Ephesians 6:1 is clear: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." One reason for this command is that God may choose to reveal His specific will to you through the counsel and example of your dad and/or mom. If you fail to obey your parents, they cannot serve as channels of God's will.

Remain sexually pure. You don't ever need to ask God if it is His will for you to become sexually involved with your boyfriend or girlfriend. God has already revealed His will on this topic: "It is God's will that you should ... avoid sexual immorality" (1 Thessalonians 4:3). If you have never been sexually active, stay that way until marriage. If you have been sexually active in the past, or you are involved sexually now, determine to obey God's will in this area from now on. It is God's clear will for everyone. To be continued.

God's Universal Will

God's will for you is divided into two distinct categories: His universal will, which applies to everyone; and His specific will, which applies to you as an individual. You may be more interested in the immediate specifics: What shall I do with my life and whom shall I marry? But God's universal will and specific will are closely intertwined. You really can't have one without the other.

God's universal will is clear and indisputable because it is spelled out in His Word. Here are several examples:

Trust Christ. The most important aspect of God's revealed will is for everyone to be saved, to trust Christ as Savior and Lord. In 1 Timothy 2:3-4 it says: "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." It's pointless to talk about any other aspect of God's will until you have fulfilled His will regarding your salvation.

Submit totally to Christ. Once you trust Christ, God's will for you is to submit your life, your future, and your will to Christ. Paul wrote, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer 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" (Romans 12:1-2). To be continued.

The Right Attitude

The last blog dealt with two misconceptions about God that keep people from understanding His will in their life. Here are two more:

I only want to do part of God's will. Those with this attitude may never know God's will. It's like trying to drive a car by stepping on the gas pedal and the brake pedal at the same time. One moment we're saying, "Lord, show me Your will," and the next moment we're saying, "I don't want to do that part of Your will." If we don't follow through with what God shows us to do today, why should He show us what to do tomorrow? We must commit to doing the whole will of God.

I want to know God's will so I can decide whether I want to do it. Seeking God's will is not like shopping for a new car. You can't "test drive" His will and then decide if you want to "buy" it. You either want God's will, or you don't. You will never really know God's will until you desire it more than your own.

Contrast these faulty attitudes with the appropriate attitude: I am willing to do God's will, whatever it is. The only attitude that will be rewarded is a willingness to accept God's will even before it is known. It is the attitude expressed by the psalmist who wrote, "I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart" (Psalm 40:8). God is eager to share His plans and counsel with those who are eager to obey.

You may be headed in the right direction. Even though you are a little anxious about what God may have in store for you, you are committed to doing God's will. You just need a little help seeing His will more clearly. Such an attitude is always rewarded.

Confused About God's Will?

Which of the following have kept you confused about God's will concerning the important decisions in your life?

God's will is hidden and I have to find it. Some people think that discovering God's will is like hunting for Easter eggs. God hides His answers to your big questions, and if you can't find them, too bad. This attitude does not line up with God's Word. God is not playing games with you. He is eager and willing to reveal His will to you if you are willing and open to receive it.

I don't really want to know God's will because I might not like it. Some people are afraid of God's will. They think He may ask them to marry someone they don't love or spend their lives doing something they don't want to do—like become a missionary in a remote jungle. But is God a kind of killjoy looking to make us miserable? Not according to Romans 8:32: "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" God wants to graciously give us all things that will fulfill our deepest desires. To be continued.

Christ—A Great Advantage

If you have decided to follow Christ you have a great advantage for finding the answers to your questions about marriage and career. God loves you and has a great plan for your life. Jeremiah 29:11 states, “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God also declares, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you" (Psalm 32:8). All you have to do is find out what that plan is—God's will—and your worries are over.

Easier said than done, you say. Many Christian students are aware that God has a plan for their lives, but they are clueless about how to find out what that plan is. His "counsel" is available, but it is often missed, ignored, or misunderstood. Why? Because people get hung up on several wrong attitudes about God's will.

How Can I Know God's Will?

"How can I know God's will?" This is one of the questions students ask most frequently of Christian leaders. Some talk about it, others worry about it and even lose sleep over it. Why is God's will such a big deal for people your age? Because you are facing the three most important decisions of your life. First is the decision about who will guide your life. The most important decision is to trust Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Do you intend to live your life according to His Word and His will as He reveals it to you?

The second vital decision you are facing regards marriage: if you will marry and whom you will marry. You may be struggling with this decision right now because you know who you want to marry, but you are not sure if it is God's will. The marriage decision is doubly difficult because it requires the participation of another person. You may think it is God's will to marry someday, but your opinion means little unless the other person interprets God's will the same way.

Your third most important decision centers on career. What will you do with your life? What education will you need to prepare you for this endeavor? Do you feel the pressure of making a career decision in the next few years that could impact the rest of your life? You're not alone.

The Desires of Your Heart

Ashley held her breath as she waited for the next words out of Bobby's mouth. She had prayed often and always felt like it was God's will, and her desire, to be with Bobby. But did he feel the same way? What if God didn't reveal the same will to him? She waited anxiously.

Bobby reached over to take Ashley's hands and looked into her eyes. "Being away from you is definitely not what I want. I could do it if God directed me to, but this weekend I realized that God is pleased to give me the desires of my heart. And my heart's desire is to be with you." Tears of joy filled Ashley's eyes. Bobby continued, "I don't know what the long term future holds for us, Ashley. Like Doug and Jenny say, God usually reveals His will a day at a time. But I want our immediate futures to be together. State has a decent baseball program, and they have offered me a modest scholarship. So for now at least, I want to go to school with you at State—if that's what you want."

The tears cascaded down Ashley's cheeks. "More than anything, I want God's will for both of us," she said. "And if His will is to give me the desires of my heart, I couldn't be happier with your decision." Bobby and Ashley talked for an hour about their dreams for the future. Then, hand in hand, they spent several minutes committing their dreams and desires to God in prayer.

What About Us?

Ashley and Bobby were walking in the park and talking to see whether there was an “us” in both their futures as they approached the end of their senior year. Ashley said, "Even though my parents and I agree that I should go to State, I'm not sure what my major should be. It was a real revelation to know that God allows room for us to make some choices. Remembering Doug's comments, Bobby added, “As long as we are committed to obeying God's universal will and seeking His specific will. "Right," Ashley affirmed. Then her question tumbled out before she could stop it: "So what do you want to do, Bobby?" Then she held her breath.

Bobby surveyed the sky as he thought. Finally he said, "Well, I don't feel called to the ministry right now, so Bible college is not a high priority to me at this point. As for turning pro," Bobby continued, "I don't think I'm ready. Players at my level spend years in the minor leagues separated from their families and living out of a suitcase. I would be better off playing college baseball and getting a degree at the same time. In four years, if the scouts are still interested in me, I can make a decision about professional baseball."

"Where would you like to go to college?" she probed. Without hesitation, Bobby answered, "That's where the other priorities in my life have helped me see what I want more clearly. I really hope to do some kind of part time volunteer ministry during college, and Doug has asked me to serve as a youth ministry intern next year if I'm still around. It sounds like a perfect fit to me." To be continued

Priorities in Life

As soon as Bobby arrived home from the backpacking trip Sunday afternoon, he called Ashley. He had missed her and she missed him. They decided to meet at the county park. Bobby said, "Sitting around the campfire, we had a great time and even talked about God's will for our lives.” Ashley's eyes widened. "That's too weird. We did too."

As they resumed their walk, Ashley gathered her courage to ask the question she had timidly avoided all year. "So what do you think God's specific will is for your life, Bobby—I mean about college and baseball and stuff?" She realized that the "stuff" she was referring to was her. "I've been thinking about that a lot lately, you know, with graduation just a few weeks away. Everybody has been bugging me for a decision about college and baseball. Actually, I've been a little slow, because I wasn't real sure how to find out what God wants me to do. This weekend with Doug really helped. I have a much better idea what the Bible says about seeking God's will.

"Yes, me too," Ashley said. Then she waited silently as they walked. "I realize that there are three things that are important to me right now," Bobby said as they faced each other on the bench. "First is God. Second is you—us, really, and our future. Third is baseball. During high school they all fit together pretty well but now I have to make some choices, and I've been waiting for God to tell me what to do. But after this weekend I realize that He expects me to be involved in the process." To be continued

I Thought God Decided

"What do you mean you decided to get married?" Ashley blurted out. "Don't you mean God decided?" "Actually, it was kind of a corporate decision," Jenny answered with a smile. "I knew that a relationship with Doug was in God's will, but God didn't decide for me. I had a choice in the matter, and so did Doug. God loves us so much that He wants us to enjoy the desires of our heart as long as our number one desire is to delight in Him. Had I chosen not to marry Doug, or had he chosen not to marry me, I probably would have met another Christian man who would have been just as much in God's will for my life.”

Ashley didn't like what she was hearing. Next to God, Bobby was the desire of her heart. But what if Bobby didn't feel the same way about her? She wanted God to make the choice—namely, choosing Bobby for her and her for Bobby. It was becoming painfully clear to Ashley that she had to talk to about her future with Bobby.

Were You a Virgin?

Jenny Shaw, a youth group leader, was hosting a sleepover with several senior girls, including Ashley Shepherd. Ashley tried not to sound desperate but asked, "Jenny, did you know immediately that Doug was the one for you?"

"Not really," Jenny said. "One thing I have learned about God's will is that He usually reveals it one day at a time. I was attracted to Doug right away, and we enjoyed dating and serving Christ together on the outreach team. But it was almost two years before I was sure he was the one God had picked out for me." "How did you know for sure?" Ashley pressed. And Jamie added boldly, "Were you a virgin when you married Doug?" That widened the eyes of all the girls.

"Yes, I was a virgin," Jenny said with a smile. "It wasn't easy, but we were both committed to entering marriage sexually pure. The second way I sought God's will was through prayer." Jenny continued, “Third, I asked for the advice and counsel of mature Christians. I wanted objective opinions about my relationship with Doug. And fourth, I paid attention to the circumstances that kept bringing Doug and me closer together. We both felt led to serve God with our lives, but neither of us felt called to the ministry as a vocation. We worked well together as a team. We enjoyed many of the same things. We loved being together. Since we received nothing but green lights from God for two years, we decided to go for it." To be continued.

God's Universal and Individual Will

Bobby and three other senior boys in the church youth group had decided to celebrate their upcoming graduation by backpacking into the mountains for three days of fishing and fun. They decided to invite Doug Shaw to go with them. Doug and his wife, Jenny, were the volunteer youth leaders in their church. After a long day of backpacking, dinner and a great time talking, a lull hit the conversation. Bobby asked, "Doug, how did you decide what your career would be, where you would go to college, stuff like that?" Smiling he responded, “You mean how did I discover God's will for my life when I was your age?" Bobby was glad the others could not see his embarrassment.

“First, I want to share something with you about God's will that I learned from my pastor. It really helped me get from where I was to where I am today." He continued, "God reveals His will for us throughout the Bible. There are two levels of God's will. The first is God's will for everybody, or as my pastor called it, God's universal will. Then there's God's will for each individual. A lot of people want to know God's will for them individually but ignore God's universal will. That's a big problem. Why should God reveal His specific will for us if we are not obedient to His universal will? For example, we know it's God's will that everyone develop a consistent attitude of prayer and fellowship with Him. Can you guys think of others?" "Love one another," Bobby said. “Obey your parents?" Ian offered.

Doug nodded, "When I was a junior, I went to my pastor and asked him how I could tell if God wanted me to go college. He asked me if I had trusted Christ as my Savior, if I was obeying my parents, if I was staying pure sexually. I guess I looked kind of shocked at the questions. The pastor said, “If you're not committed to obeying God's universal will, there's no point in seeking His specific will.” I never forgot that. The key to finding God's specific will for our lives is to faithfully obey what He has already given us to do. And to remember that His will quite often is revealed day by day, not all at once.”

Ashley's Story

Ashley was embarrassed by her tears, but she couldn't stop them from flowing. It had hit her all of a sudden when Bobby's baseball game ended: This could be the beginning of the end for Bobby and me. In a few weeks we will graduate. Soon after that he will be off to attend Bible college or to play baseball somewhere far away. He will meet other girls and forget all about me. Then what will I do? Her parents wanted her to attend the state university nearby, and she agreed with them but would that decision separate her from Bobby?

Since Ashley and Bobby had started going together almost three years earlier, Ashley had just known she would marry Bobby someday. But it was all a big secret. She'd told no one, especially not Bobby. He was so involved in his studies and baseball and the youth group leadership at their church that he probably did not yet know they were destined to be together. It was God's will—Ashley was sure of it. But would Bobby come to the same conclusion? What if Bobby's life centered around baseball or the ministry, and he found another girl who was better suited to his career? But, what if Bobby went elsewhere? She could not keep him from meeting other girls. What if you are mistaken about God's will? Is it God's will or wishful thinking? If I don't marry Bobby, what will I do? Should I start a career? Should I date other people? How could anyone know these things for sure? I have to talk to somebody, she realized. I have to figure out how to discover God's will, or I'll go crazy. She had no idea that her boyfriend was thinking the same thoughts as he drove home.