Discovering God’s will for your life is one of the most frequently asked questions for Christian living. After all, isn’t it the key to having a purposeful life?
1. God does have a plan for you. And he’s keen to tell you about it. Spend time listening and asking, and God will let you know. Every time I have needed God’s direction, he has revealed his will to me. Every time.
Caution: It’s not always on my schedule. Sometimes he tells me before I’m interested in knowing, and sometimes it’s SO last minute. Apparently God has terrible time management skills. But he always tells me when I need to know. Read the story of God speaking to Moses in Exodus 3.
2. It’s not as simple as we would like. It would be nice if you sent God an email, and then downloaded the answer the next day. Sorry! God seems to keep us guessing just enough to keep us close. The reason we all ask this question is because the answer isn’t that obvious. So it’s normal if you have to search a bit.
3. God provides a travel guide, not a road map. A road map shows us exactly where we want to go, all the possible options to get there, and gives us total control. A travel guide is an expert on the city. He knows where you need to go – usually better than you do – and the best way to get there. He enriches the experience enormously. You have to stay close to the travel guide to be rewarded on the journey.
4. God gives you enough direction for today, but rarely enough for tomorrow. Wouldn’t it be nice if God gave you the schedule for the next 20 years of your life? Keep dreaming – he doesn’t. He only tells you what you need to know for right now. It’s probably a good thing too – you might be quite intimidated if he told you everything. “What? I can never do that, God!”
5. You are in a process of development. God ‘s main priority early in life is shaping you. You will learn things now that will be critical later on – you just don’t know it yet. Work hard, accomplish much, and if you don’t know everything, that’s all part of the plan.
6. Follow your form. You can try using a blender as a hammer, but it won’t work. You make smoothies with a blender, and pound nails with a hammer. You will get quite frustrated if you try it the other way around. The way God made you in part determines what God intends you to do. S – Spiritual Gifts H – Heart A - Abilities P – Personality E – Experience
7. Be creative and think; God usually doesn’t micromanage. You were made with freedom and creativity. Sometimes God expects you to use it. God opens up possibilities and says “What do you want? If you love me, pick whatever you want and I’ll make something beautiful out of your life.” Sometimes God is very specific with what he wants us to do; but sometimes he would rather see what good we can come up with. Think: God has more anticipation than expectation.
8. Life is an airport, not a busstop. We’re all scared we won’t get on the right path. You stand at the busstop of life. There's one bus that comes along, and either you get on it, or you miss God's plan. Instead, think of life as an airport. God takes you to the departure board and asks, "Where do you want to go?" He opens up possibilities and lets us choose. Certainly not everything is good, or Godly. But God gives us more freedom than we're comfortable with.
9. Do you love the things that God loves? Do you want to use your life loving other people? Be careful about your ego and ‘what’s in it for you’. Success does not mean you’re in God’s will.
10. Be ready for the unexpected. God often does the unexpected, and invites us to come along. Don't expect God to speak in a certain way, because he won't. Don't limit what he can say, because he will tell you something else. God is much more creative than the box you put yourself in. God can contradict everything above, and that's ok, because he's God and you're not.
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