Have you ever asked God, “What is your will for my life?” It’s a common question a lot of believers ponder. Personally, I’ve never felt there was an easy answer. As I mature in my faith, and grow in my knowledge of who God is, I realize the answer is simple.
God’s Decrees vs. God’s Desires
Lately, in church, our pastors have been teaching from the Book of First Samuel. We’ve learned about David and everything he went through leading up to taking the throne. One of the sermons that has really stuck with me was titled “Freedom & Responsibility” (you can view it here).
This message helped me to understand more about God’s will for my life. Pastor Larry Osborn explained how there’s a difference between God’s decrees and His desires.
A decree is something that God says He will do.
For example, God said He would send His son to save the world.
Nothing can stop God’s plan.
“But the Lord’s plan stands firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.” (Psalm 33:11 NIV)
A desire is everything else that God tells us to do.
For example, the command to “love others as yourself” is God’s desire, or recommendation, for us. God doesn’t force us to love others because He has given us a free will. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences for the decisions we make.
“The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8 NIV)
Because we are His children, when we make wreckless, foolish decisions, He works with us to get us back on track. If we make a life altering decision, He works with that, too.
“Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” (Isaiah 46:10 NIV).
You Get To Choose How You Will Live Your Life
We have a choice to do this life with or without God, to obey or disobey, to listen or to ignore him, but that doesn’t change the fact that God is still the immovable, unshakeable, unstoppable God. His Word is sure and true.
If you choose to follow Jesus and profess to be a Christian, you are responsible for following God’s desires, but you still get to choose to do or not do what the Bible says. When we choose to ignore God’s desires, we’re only stunting our growth and preventing God’s blessings in our life.
What is God’s Will For My Life?
God’s will may not be what you think. We spend a lot of time trying to decode the mystery of God’s will for our life, thinking if we don’t make the right decisions, we will mess up His plan.
It may surprise you, but God doesn’t care so much about the career you choose, who you marry, whether or not you have children, or where you live.
God will use you wherever you are. But you have to allow yourself to be used by Him.
God’s decrees cannot be stopped. What God says He will do, He will do.
There’s absolutely nothing we can do to get in the way of God’s plan. No matter how much we screw up, God can still use us for His plan.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV)
God’s will for us is that we simply live according to His desires for us.
How Do We Live In God’s Will?
The first step to living in God’s will is that we repent and turn to Him so we can be saved.
“He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” (2 Peter 3:9 NIV)
“This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” (1 Timothy 3 & 4)
Once you choose to follow Jesus, you truly get to experience the freedom of choice. The Bible is not a book of rules, but a book of guidance on how to live the best and most free life possible.
The life God desires for you is comparable to how we as parents have strong feelings about the choices we would like our children to make. But even when they make mistakes, we don’t love them any less. They are still our children and we love them unconditionally. We just wish they would make better choices.
God Desires For Us To Choose Freedom
When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them a free will. Because He created humans in His own image, He gave us the ability to make our own choices.
Obviously, we all know what happened to Adam and Eve. They screwed up big time, but God’s will still prevailed. They may have taken a different path than the one God designed for them, but their destination was the same.
God has an end game planned out already. We get to choose our own adventures, so to say, but in the end, our destiny is already decided for us.
“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:27-28 NIV)
We are not His robots. God has also given us a choice of how we will spend our eternity. In this choice, we have the ability to choose to live as free men and women of God, or as slaves to sin, the enemy and the world.
God’s will is that nobody should ever have to be enslaved to sin. He sent His son, Jesus Christ, as the final sacrifice, to cover all the sins of the world so that we could all be free.
“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2 NIV)
Will You Choose Freedom?
I personally have chosen to follow Jesus Christ all the days of my life. It is because of my choice, not only do I have fellowship with God the Father, and I am able to experience the blessings of His joy and peace, but I am also able to relish in the hope of His salvation.
I know that no matter how hard this life gets, that my destiny is certain. I have chosen the life of freedom in Christ.
If you have not yet made the decision to put your trust in the only one who can save you and give you true freedom, I pray that today you will take this most important step for your future.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10 NIV)
If you have questions or want to discuss this further, please send me a message. I would love to help you understand God’s will for your life.
What do you think?