How to answer the question: "What is God's will for my life?"

Often we pray that God will show us His will. Before we pray that, we need to ask ourselves if we are already obeying his revealed will.

What is God’s will for my life?

That’s a question we frequently ask in life, particularly when we have to make big decisions. We often feel that if God would just tell us what he wants we’d do it—so we ask.  But, just as often as we ask, we are often frustrated because it doesn’t seem like God answers. What’s going on?

Perhaps we are asking the wrong question at the wrong time.

Asking for God’s will in the human realm, as in any area, we must learn the basics before we can learn advanced skills. A writer doesn’t create a best-selling novel the first time he or she sits down to write. Basic skills in grammar, sentence construction, story-telling must all be mastered first. After the basic skills are learned, years are spent perfecting the craft.

If a writer becomes angry and impatient because a publishing company won’t publish a book wherein it is obvious that the writer hasn’t taken time to master the basics, it isn’t the fault of the publishing company, but of the undisciplined and lazy writer.

Our Christian walk requires no less

It is presumptuous to ask God’s will in big areas of life, or really in any area,  if we have not been obedient in the areas of His clearly revealed will. God’s Word is filled with basic commands, including the one we are studying this week in Micah 6:8:

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Before we become impatient and impertinent before God, we do well to check out lives to see if we are obeying His basic commands.

We might need to take a step back and ask ourselves:

“Do we even know what these commands are?”
“Do we spend the daily time in God’s Word to discover them?”
“Do we take time to study them in-depth?”
“Do we pray for strength and wisdom in how to apply them and live a life pleasing to God?

Be ready for surprises

It is often amazing how the big questions about the directions we should take in life are answered when we take the time to step-by-step, be obedient to the basic commands of God.

Micah 6:8 is a great place to start–join us this coming week to dig deeply into it.