What is God’s Will?

"God wants you to be holy " (1 Thess.4.3 GNB)

Paul was writing about the ultimate purpose of God. It is a direct command of God that his people shall be cleansed and made ready for his future work. It is a process by which his people can express already now his love for all mankind and especially his concern for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Only in doing this can they be changed into his likeness. So how does this affect our day to day, minute by minute, experiences in life?

God gave to the people Israel a law which revealed his will for them in fairly detailed terms. That law was interpreted by priests and prophets so that men and women could understand what was a good moral behaviour. Jesus' life and teaching did the same for Christians, assisted by apostles and teachers. In this twenty-first century, in an affluent and democratic society, these basic principles are unchanged. The problems of making decisions and facing temptations are a little more complex than they were in the days of Jesus, or Abraham, but an examination of the means by which God revealed himself in Bible times provides clues as to how He might do so today.

The most important factor in discovering the will of God is our relationship to him. That is a friendship which demands complete penitence of heart, and total surrender of our will to him (Rom. 12. 1-2). Constant prayerful meditation upon the Bible enables this relationship to develop into a consciousness of God which will affect everything we say and do. We find that the Word of God contains many examples of the way in which He spoke to his people of old and it is fascinating to notice the number of times that God's message was the opposite of human inclinations. Some, like Abraham or Moses, seem to argue with him (Gen. 17-18; Exod. 3-4). The revelation to them must have been very clear, leaving no doubt about God's intention.

The way in which Abraham's servant discovered a bride for Isaac is an interesting example of God's communication (Gen. 24), but how different was Jacob's experience (Gen. 28-35). He went back to the land Isaac was forbidden to go to, chose one of his wives and was married to the other by deception. There is also a contrast in determining God's will in the lives of two exiles wanting to return to Jerusalem. Nehemiah was escorted by a military guard, while Ezra believed that this was not God's will for him (Neh. 2. 9; Ezra 8. 22). God has revealed himself in different ways to different people all through history. So we can see that sitting in judgment of others in this matter will not make it easier for any child of God to interpret his will more clearly. Patient waiting upon God will.

The central goal of Jesus' life was to do his Father's will. It was his food and drink and He taught his disciples to pray for it. When He came to his last great ordeal and He prayed to God about it, it was only what He had done at other critical times in his life.

It is also clear that God gives us liberty in the making of decisions. That is the reason for some of the disagreements which occurred in New Testament times, beautifully summarised in Rom. 14. The colour of our coat, or the way we cook our food may not affect our own Christian life. Nevertheless there are guiding principles which as stewards of God's gifts we shall need to observe, bearing in mind the needs of others and our responsibility to God. The way we plan our day and choose our activities will be qualified by whether it is God's will (James 4.13-17).

George Muller of Bristol said that discovery of God's will could be likened to a captain navigating his ship into harbour. At one port around the British coasts there were three lights and when the helmsman steered his ship so that all three lights were lined up one behind the other, he knew that he was on course to enter the harbour. So the Christian may line up three important factors in life's experiences and when they agree there is good reason to move forward. They are; the inner conviction of the Holy Spirit within our hearts; the circumstances of our lives; and prayerful thoughts upon the Word of God. Others have witnessed to the fact that this is how they discover the will of God.

What job do I take? What house do I buy? Where should I go for a holiday? What book should I read? Should I join a club? As a Christian may I have a hobby? These are the kind of questions which children of God must answer for themselves. It is disobedience to the Word of God to pass harsh judgment upon other believers. We do know that God wants every soul surrendered to him, to use his or her gifts for his Kingdom. Therefore in our job we should be serving the interests of God's Kingdom, (not just paying the expenses of our earthly life). Whichever house we live in (rented or bought), it will be a home we share with God. The touchstone in all these questions is whether or not we can do it to the glory of God.

Living with a consciousness of God's presence every day and trusting that He will lead us to do those things he wants us to do, we will avoid anxiety and arrogance concerning the decisions we take. It will help us to develop confidence, obedience and a sensitivity to the Divine leading such as a child has in its father's or mother's strong grasp.