How can We Know when We are in God’s Will?
Q: I am a newborn Christian, and I just can’t seem to find a fulfilling answer to this question. How do I know I’m doing God’s will in my life when I’m not sure if I’m sensitive to His presence (the Holy Spirit, that is)? I know in my heart that I want to go to college to study psychology, but different parts of scripture say that if we are doing things that are not His divine will for us, those things will be in vain. I’ve prayed many times before, but I just think I’m not being sensitive to Him, since I’m still in a dilemma over this issue. I want to be obedient to Him, but I don’t know if continuing the path I’ve chosen is what He wants for me. Can you help?
A: Anyone who is following Christ should want to do His will, So we applaud you for wanting to do just that. However, that doesn’t mean discovering what God wants you to do is going to be easy. Living the Christian life is a journey, and we don’t always know the specific paths that journey is going to take. We know the final destination, but we don’t always know what lies around the next bend.
You can do some things to better discern God’s will for your life, but ultimately you will need to trust God by faith to lead you where He wants you.
You asked about studying psychology in college. If this is something you desire to do, then here’s what we would suggest:
- Pray about it. Ask God to lead you along the right path and to give you His peace that you are doing the right thing.
- Stay focused on God’s word. You probably won’t find specific verses that will tell you what to do, but you will allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you and give you wisdom.
- Seek the wise counsel of mature believers who know you well.
- Do your homework. If you have chosen a certain school to study psychology, make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. If you are planning to study at a secular college or university, you need to know that the worldview of most of the professors you will encounter is against God. If you want our advice, we suggest studying at a Christian college with a good reputation for psychology.
Even after all that, you still may have some doubts, but some of those doubts may be there because you think there is one specific thing God wants you to do, and if you don’t find it, you’re going to be a spiritual failure. Remember that God created you for a purpose —to glorify Him—but He has also created you with certain gifts and talents. Use these for His glory, but don’t get caught up in the notion that you need specific signs pointing you to a specific place. Trust God to guide you and then use your own judgment to make decisions—as long as your judgment is based on your growing relationship with God.
May God bless and guide you as you consider your future.
How Can I Find My Purpose in Life?
Q: I understand that God has a purpose for my life and is involved in helping me grow, but I’m unsure if that means a purpose to use my spiritual gifts in church or actually in every aspect of my life. I would like to turn over my career to Him also, because this is where I spend most of my day, but I’m not sure how I can actually discover what He wants me to do. I’m ready to do whatever that is (either more or less money, don’t care). Do I give it my absolute best in my current situation and wait for the right opportunity to come along when He is ready for me to move on, or should I constantly search and try different careers? I’m in a good sales and marketing position now that gives me access to many contacts, but I still don’t feel as if I’m fulfilling my life calling. Any input would be great. Thanks.
A: You asked about God’s purpose for your life. You have a very good understanding of what this means. Yes, God wants us to use our spiritual gifts to serve Him and others and this is best done in the local church, where God can use our gifts to build up others. Also, God wants us to follow Him in every area of our lives, whether that is at home or in our vocation.
It’s great that you want to turn your career over to Him, but don’t automatically assume that God will take you in another direction. It may happen, but more than likely God will use you right where you are. God has given you favor in your position, and it may very well be that He wants to use you as salt and light to influence others.
We don’t believe you need to search for other careers in the hopes that you will land on something that fulfills your purpose. As you do excellent work where you are, God will give you purpose. He may show you new opportunities, but when that happens, it won’t feel forced, but very natural and very much in line with His will for your life.
God’s will is more a matter of following Him day by day rather than getting the big picture all at once. The key is for us to make God and His spiritual Kingdom the priority in our lives (Matthew 6: 33 see below).
With your terrific attitude and perspective, we have no doubt that God is going to use you in significant ways. May He bless you as you follow Him!
You may find the following relevant posts useful in answering additional questions on this topic:
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Relevant Scripture:
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6: 33)
Reference:
Bible Answers 101 by Bickel & Jantz
Spiritual Meditations 