Finding God’s Will For Your Life

By: Diana Bryant

Everybody loves a good mystery, right? Just not when you have decisions hanging over your head and can’t figure out the right move to make. Many times sincere Christian young people want to find God’s will for their lives but get hung up looking for answers. Let’s look at some basic principles and steps you can take, so decision making is a little less scary and intimidating

Principle #1: Realize life is a series of choices and consequences. The sooner you can grasp good choices result in good, beneficial, and helpful consequences, the better. Bad choices bring about tough consequences. Learning to think through possible outcomes of your decisions can go a long way toward deciding the right path to take.

Principle #2: Be assured God is not trying to trick you. He’s not making a game out of His will, hiding it, and watching to see if you figure it out. God loves you and wants His best for your life! He will provide answers when you sincerely seek them.

Principle #3: Decide early on you are committed to doing whatever His will turns out to be. God may lead in ways you never dreamed of, but rest assured, doing His will ensures a joyful, fulfilling future.

There are several practical steps you can take to find where God is leading. Consider these:

• Sincerely seek God’s direction. Read and obey Scripture. God will speak to you through the work of the Holy Spirit, and direction will follow. Pray, expecting answers.

• *When you’re unsure what the long-term answer or direction is, do the next right thing. If you’re in school, the right thing is to study, pay attention, and keep your grades up. When choosing a college to attend, the next right thing is to meet deadlines for applications and essays. If you have a job but aren’t sure about a career track, do your best where you are. Be on time, have the right attitude, and refine the skills you use on that particular job.

• Notice your gifts and abilities. Work on developing those areas of your life. Make the most of the talents God has given you; He had a reason for giving them to you!

• Notice circumstances in which frequently you find yourself. God may be preparing you for a specific role.

• Listen to the guidance from older, godly friends, pastors, and teachers. Many times they see possibilities that you may not realize.

• Consider known aspects of God’s will first when making a particular decision. There are many things we KNOW are God’s will, like honesty and compassion. Are there principles that apply to your decision, like honoring your parents or giving up things that are not necessarily wrong but keep you from doing better things? If so, use these guidelines to your decision.

• Be well-rounded. We all have particular things we love to do, watch, and experience. When we obsess on one activity and exclude everything else, it’s not healthy and limits the chances of discovering other exciting possibilities.  

Thankfully, God has promised wisdom when we ask; therefore, you can make decisions with confidence. He has promised to lead and be with us every step of the way. That’s no mystery, and it’s a promise!