If God has a wonderful plan for my life, as the evangelistic tract tells us, then why doesnโt he tell me what it is?
After all, our lives down here are a confusing mess of fits and starts, dead ends and open doors, possibilities and competing ideals. There are so many decisions to make and none of the answers seem clear. What should I do this summer? What should I do for my degree? What kind of career do I want? Should I get married? Whom should I marry? What job should I take? Should I be a missionary? Should I be a pastor? Should I leave home and test the waters elsewhere? Is now the time to buy a house?
With so many questions to face in the next years – or sometimes in the next several weeks – itโs no surprise so many of us are desperate to know the will of God for our lives. Which brings me back to a rephrasing of my original question: If God has a wonderful plan for my life, how can I discover what it is?
A lot of books have been written trying to answer this question, and my answer might not be what you expect. My answer is not original to me, but it is quite simple and, I hope, quite biblical. Iโd like us to consider that maybe we have difficulty discovering Godโs wonderful plan for our lives because, if truth be told, he doesnโt really intend to tell us what it is. And maybe weโre wrong to expect him to.
Most of the time what weโre really looking for is Godโs will of direction. We hear it in the questions above. We want to know his individual, specific plan for the who, what, where, when and how of our lives. We want to know his direction.
โAfter all, our lives down here are a confusing mess of fits and starts, dead ends and open doors, possibilities and competing ideals.โ
So hereโs the real heart of the matter: Does God have a secret will of direction that he expects us to figure out before we do anything? And the answer is no. Yes, God has a specific plan for our lives. And yes, we can be assured that he works things for our good in Christ Jesus. And yes, looking back we will often be able to trace Godโs hand in bringing us to where we are. But while we are free to ask God for wisdom, he does not burden us with the task of divining his will of direction for our lives ahead of time.
The second half of that sentence is crucial. God does have a specific plan for our lives, but it is not one that he expects us to figure out before we make a decision. Iโm not saying God wonโt help you make decisions (itโs called wisdom). Iโm not saying God doesnโt care about your future.
Iโm not saying God isnโt directing your path and in control amidst the chaos of your life. I believe in providence with all my heart. What I am saying is that we should stop thinking of Godโs will like a corn maze, or a tightrope, or a bullโs-eye, or a choose-your-own-adventure novel.
God is not a Magic 8-Ball we shake up and peer into whenever we have a decision to make. He is a good God who gives us brains, shows us the way of obedience, and invites us to take risks for him. We feel like we can know – and need to know – what God wants every step of the way. But such preoccupation with finding Godโs will, as well-intentioned as the desire may be, is more folly than freedom.
Fear God, not the future
Ecclesiastes may seem a strange book but itโs more relevant than ever. Too many of us are chasing after the wind, looking for satisfaction in work, family and success – all good things, yet all things that donโt ultimately satisfy. It would be bad enough if we were just restless, meandering through life, and a little cowardly. But weโve spiritualised restless and meandering cowardice, making it feel like piety instead of passivity. Weโre not only leading lives of vanity; our passion for God is often nothing more than a passion to have God make our search for vanity a successful one.
We need to hear the conclusion of Ecclesiastes: โFear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of manโ (12:13). If you are going to be anxious about one thing, be anxious to keep his commandments. If we must fear something – and we all do – fear God, not the future.
The will of God isnโt a special direction here or a bit of secret knowledge there. God doesnโt put us in a maze, turn out the lights and tell us, โGet out and good luck.โ In one sense, we trust in the will of God as his sovereign plan for our future. In the other sense, we obey the will of God as his good word for our lives. In no sense should we be scrambling around trying to turn to the right page in our personal choose-your-own-adventure novel.
โIn one sense, we trust in the will of God as his sovereign plan for our future. In the other sense, we obey the will of God as his good word for our lives.โ
Godโs will for your life and my life is simpler, harder, and easier than that. Simpler, because there are no secrets we must discover. Harder, because denying ourselves, living for others, and obeying God is more difficult than taking a new job and moving to Fargo. Easier, because as Augustine said, God commands what he wills and grants what he commands.
In other words, God gives his children the will to walk in his ways – not by revealing a series of next steps cloaked in shadows, but by giving us a heart to delight in his law.
So the end of the matter is this: Live for God. Obey the Scriptures. Think of others before yourself. Be holy. Love Jesus. And as you do these things, do whatever else you like, with whomever you like, wherever you like, and youโll be walking in the will of God.
Just do Something
This article is adapted from Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung (ยฉ2009). Published by Moody Publishers. All rights reserved. Used by permission. For more details, or to purchase the book please click the link below: