Finding God's Will

I know a high school student with a fantastic heart for God who agonized and prayed for months seeking to know God's will for his college choice (and by extension, His will for this student's whole life). I wrote him my thoughts about the whole struggle over discerning "God's will for your life," and when I finished I realized that it might mean something to someone else out there.

Joel,

Something has been on my mind that I want to share with you about making hard “life decisions” and “knowing God’s will.” I know you’re sweating over the college choice and you’re hoping for some real, clear direction from God about what to do. So here’s my advice:

1. Don’t expect God to reveal a blueprint for your life. That’s not how He works. You don’t need to know “God’s will for your life” in its entirety. You can’t be held responsible today for decisions you won’t even be presented with until you are 25, or 35, or 50. And what you do at 25 may very well be, according to God’s design, completely different from what you’ll be doing at 30. So don’t sweat over “what your calling is,” as if there’s only one. You’ll have dozens of “callings” and “ministries” over the course of your life, and God will prepare you in time for each of those as you go along. Which leads me to number 2:

2. Don’t limit your definition of “ministry” to church work or missions. There’s too much of that kind of thinking going around. Being the salt of the earth and the light of the world means being “out in the world” in the first place. This world needs godly doctors, teachers, singers, bankers, parents, and dishwashers as much as it needs more preachers. My point here is that your “calling” is not so much about the school or degree program that you choose—it’s more about the heart that moves you in whatever you do. And from what I hear and see in you, that part of you is exactly as it’s supposed to be. So take a deep breath and relax a little about “knowing what you’re supposed to do.” The only real decision you have to make is to love the Lord with all your heart. The rest is just details.

--By the way, don’t forget that someday God may lead you to take up a ministry which doesn’t come with a paycheck. In that day, if you are supporting a wife and children, it would help if you have acquired some skill or qualification which would free you to choose that direction in your life. Finally,

3. More often than not, God does not give you “signs” or clear impressions about which path to take among several good options. In my opinion, we tend to build up people’s expectations that God will clearly speak to you in prayer about choosing a college, or a mate, or a job. His goal in your life is to make you like Him. He is working in your life to make you want what He wants. Under the circumstances, then, once you have given your heart to Him, Just choose what you want! How’s that for a revolutionary idea? If your heart is set on Him, then go where you want to go, marry whom you want to marry, work where you want to work! After you’ve surrendered yourself to Him, simply trust that He will make you want what He wants!

I hope this helps.

Your brother, Neil.