How can I discover God's will for my life?

By: Kyle Austin

In asking what is God's will for our life, we are seeking to discover what God's plan, purpose, and design is for our life. In this we can get a little more specific and ask, "God where do you want me to live? Do you want me to go to school and if so what school do you want me attend? What degree do you want me to pursue? What type of job do you want me to have? Do you want me to marry and if so who should I marry?" Here are a few thoughts on discovering and knowing God's will for your life.

God's will is knowable and attainable.

Have you ever driven down the interstate and seen the flashing billboards that have multiple ads? Depending on how fast you are traveling will determine if you see all the ads or not. Many times we just cannot see all the ads. God is not like these billboards. He does not display His will for our lives for five seconds an then rip it down only to say, "I guess you missed it. So sorry for your luck!" Even thought there may be times that we cannot quite see or grasp His will, it is knowable and attainable. God desires for you to know His will! He does not desire for it to be a mystery.

God's will is in the present.

We hear and say this often, "What is God's will for my life?" Many times we are talking more about what God wants for our future not what God's will for the present. Essentially, we are seeking and searching for what I would call "God's unrevealed will" or His unrevealed plan for our lives. Too many times we think of God's will as some big future event, but God's will is knowable and God's will is attainable today in the present. You can only do what you know. If we are going to do God's will we can only do what we already know. God has revealed some form of His will to you at this moment. This is God's will for your life. So in searching for His will in the future do not miss what God has for you right here in the present!

God's will is always unfolding.

God does not give us His will like a teacher in a class who provides a complete syllabus of everything from the start all the way to the end. God's will is not like that. He reveals it to us as we can take it. The next bigger things (His unrevealed will) that you and I are searching for come in obedience (to His revealed will) in the mundane ordinary days of Life. Think about Moses who worked in the desert keeping sheep for years. Not a very fabulous job! Spending every day watering and feeding sheep. Doing the same thing day after day but then God shows up in the burning bush to reveal more of His will! Nehemiah is the king's cup bearer spending each week fulfilling the same work duties. Then all of a sudden on an ordinary day everything changes. He hears about the condition of Jerusalem and God reveals His will for Nehemiah to go there and rebuild the walls. King David was a teenager who fulfilled God's will by taking care of his father's sheep. One ordinary day his dad asked him to go check on his brothers and take them lunch. This was the day he fought Goliath and a day that changed his life forever! It was in those ordinary, mundane days that God's will was revealed in more specific areas. So in the mundane everyday aspects of life God continuously works to reveal His will to us.


Here are five elements that God uses to reveal His will in our lives:


  1. By His Word. Many times God will use His word to reveal His will. Whatever you feel He is revealing to you must line up with the teachings found in His Word. There is so much of God's will already revealed in scripture that we must make sure we are doing what has already been revealed to us if we can ever expect God to reveal more. Why should He reveal more if we are not being obedient to what He has already revealed?
  2. Through prayer. As we pray, God will impress things upon your heart and ideas will flow through your mind. An active prayer life is a great way to discover and know God's will.
  3. Through circumstances. God orchestrates circumstances that you and I could never orchestrate. He opens and closes doors of opportunity for us. Through these circumstances, God is revealing His will for your life.
  4. He uses other people. God will use other people to guide and direct you through counsel, opportunities, and connections.
  5. Peace. There may be times when God's will just does not seem to not make sense. He may lead you to change a job that pays less, change a degree when it would prolong your graduation date, or move to another place. People may think you are crazy for doing something but you know God is leading. In these situations, God gives you a peace that is indescribable and assures you that it is His will.


Do not over focus and get caught up so much on what He has not revealed yet. Focus and give yourself totally to what He has already revealed to you. What is next will come when you are ready.


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