Learning how to know God’s will for your life can, in part, be simple. At the same time, it can feel complicated. That’s because we can see God’s will in a couple of different ways for our lives – big picture (way easier) and situationally (much more difficult). On one hand, we know we are meant to glorify Him with our voices, choices, actions, attitudes – just trust and obey Jesus. We are also meant to share the Gospel with others. Big picture, those things fulfill the will of God.
The world can easily convince us that following our hearts is what God wants, but what God really wants is for us to follow His heart. His will is the same for everyone and it’s about Him, not us. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care deeply about us. His will brings about the absolute best for us if we live in it.
It gets complicated when we start dissecting situations to make decisions that line up with the will of God. Not because the basic truth of God’s will changes, but because our fears, emotions, and desires are woven into those individual situations. These things help us know that we are living in God’s will.
How to know you’re living in God’s will
Know Scripture
The Bible has clear answers to many things we face as humans. In times of transition in our lives, when we might be unsure of our next move, we can see how our options stack up against the truth of scripture. Will that job require you to compromise anything God says isn’t optional? Will that marriage honor Him?
For our decisions to align with God’s will, they must align with His scripture. Learning how to know God’s will for your life starts with learning His uncompromisable principles. Tell the truth at any cost and be kind and compassionate to everyone. Love God, hate sin, work hard, and serve selflessly. Practice humility, gratitude, and generosity instead of self-righteousness. Basically, we are to follow His heart instead of our own.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16
Seek Counsel
Because we’re human, there’s always a chance we can get caught up in our own emotions and desires and interpret the scripture to support our own agenda. Confirming with another believer who can see our situation objectively is important.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. Proverbs 12:15
Inner Peace
The Spirit provides peace within during times of outward unrest. If you are facing a decision and your heart is not at peace over it, it might not be the right decision. Ignoring that feeling could mean disregarding the Spirit’s protection. In the right situation, when we seek God for answers, we’ll feel that peace that lets us know we’re choosing the right thing.
And the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6
Know Christ
Getting to know Christ is like knowing a friend or your spouse. You learn their preferences, know their heart, understand their ways and how they would likely respond to situations, how they feel about you, what they care most about, and more. If we know Christ, we will know His will for our lives. If we know Him, we can trust Him. The closer we walk with Him, the clearer we will see His will for our lives.
And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 5:20
