God’s
Will for Us
By Susan Klein
“Be very careful,
then, how you live - - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every
opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but
understand what the Lord’s will is.”
Ephesians 5:15-17
Have
you ever questioned God’s specific will for your life? Don’t we all want to
make choices that are pleasing to Him and within His will? Have you ever feared
making a wrong decision? Perhaps you’ve considered a job change or a move to a
different location, praying for God’s will to be accomplished. Maybe you are
faced with more than one choice in a particular situation and are agonizing
over which one fits into God’s will. It can get rather frustrating at times!
So, how can we really know what His will is?
According
to the verse above, we are to understand what the Lord’s will is. While we don’t
necessarily know the thoughts or the mind of God (Isaiah 55:8), we can know for
sure some Scriptural truths about His will for us. For example, in the Gospel
of Luke we are instructed to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul,
strength and mind, and love our neighbor as ourselves. If we are doing this, we
are in His will. The above verse instructs us to live as wise, not as unwise. It
would be safe to say it is His will for us to be wise in our decision-making
process. So, what happens if we make an unwise decision? Part of God’s will is letting us make
choices, and then experiencing the results of those choices. God may allow us
to exercise our individual will in a given situation, but He is always able to
control the outcomes to accomplish what His sovereign will has deemed. He is
God, and He will do as He pleases (Daniel 4:35).
God
foreknew all the choices we would and will make in our lifetime. He can allow
us to make a decision, or He can stop us. It is all within His will. In other words, even if we make a mistake, He
will use the outcome to accomplish His desired result (Proverbs 16:4). Nothing
we can do will thwart His plan (Job 42:2). We need not be fearful or become
frustrated when we aren’t sure what God’s will is. We just need to cling to the
truth of His Word, knowing that He is sovereign and accomplishes all things in
His due time. There really is much comfort in that truth!
GOING
DEEPER:
Do
you struggle with making decisions, fearing that you might go against God’s
will for your life? Will you trust in His sovereignty more than your choices?
FURTHER
READING:
Susan is We Women's Tuesday Morning Bible Study
Coordinator and one of its teachers. She and her husband Mark lead a couples'
small group in their home; she is also involved in inner city outreach.
