I receive a lot of messages from readers who are seeking God’s will for their lives. Maybe you’re in the same boat. You hope that God will make it crystal clear which way you should go. You’ve been trying to hear God’s voice and fear making a wrong decision that could cut you out of God’s plan for your life. But what exactly is God’s will for your life?
First of all, God wants you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9). He wants you to be part of his family as his loved son or daughter. Because of the gift of grace, your sins are forgiven, the Holy Spirit is living inside of you, and you’ve received a brand-new identity. God wants to heal and restore you from the inside out. You can have a personal relationship with God and build his kingdom together with other Christians.
The most important commandment builds upon this foundation:
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
God wants you to receive the gift of Christ and live in the way of love. That’s God’s will for your life. You are called to glorify him and enjoy being part of his kingdom where he has a place for you. When people mention your individual calling, they talk about using your God-given gifts and strengths (1. Corinthians 12) at the place where he calls you to.
There are countless stories in the Bible where God declares callings over people’s lives or puts missions on their hearts. He leads and guides them based on a plan that we can only grasp on the surface. Some of the most famous examples are the stories of Abraham, Moses, Joseph, and David. But there are many more. While reading about their experiences we discover surprising, spectacular but also very natural turns in their lives.
When I read the story of Joseph, for example, I don’t see him trying very hard to find the mysterious plan of God. No, he had a dream from the Lord and the events kicked off. One incident happened after another, and Joseph was caught in the middle of the story while living in close fellowship with God. Striving for integrity he sought to live after God’s will. Whenever he had the chance, he used his God-given strengths. His gift of interpreting dreams, for example, brought him into the presence of Pharaoh.
In many vocation stories in the Bible, God’s invisible hand is on his people, leading and guiding them. His plan seems to be dynamic since there are many strange twists and turns. At the same time, God is constant because he follows a clear purpose in the lives of those individuals.
Why and how some events come about in the lives of those godly people stays hidden to us. We know that they were close to God, sought his presence and guidance continually, and tried to please him with their lives. This plan of God which is dynamic and constant at the same time is based upon a personal relationship between the individual and God.
God has a specific calling for every person and he guides them to the place where he wants them to bear fruit.
How can you find your calling? Since your personality and your set of gifts and strengths are unique, it makes sense to ask the creator directly. Pray for experiences that show you what God has placed on the inside of you. Ask him to guide you to the place he has for you in this season of your life. Listen to what your family, teachers, pastors, and friends are saying about you. What do they think you’re good at? Oftentimes, other people see it before you do.
A calling isn’t a destination but a journey. It emerges gradually throughout your life, it can shift over time and it often doesn’t look exactly what you‘ve imagined it to be like. The key is to seek God continually in prayer.
At no point in the Bible does it say that God planned out your whole life in every detail. If this were the case, only one person would have to make a false decision (like marrying the wrong person), which would start a chain reaction, and no one would be able to follow this seemingly concrete plan of God. Rather, God has given us free will and he’s writing his dynamic story with us.
As you stay close to God, your path will become evident. When you seek him with your heart and get to know him as your loving Father, you can know yourself secure in his presence. You don’t need to fear making a wrong move and falling out of some stiff plan. God is dynamic enough to engage with your free will. But to stay close to his heart it is necessary to live according to the Bible since its teaching is for our own good.
When talking about your calling we can’t neglect the most important part: It’s all for God’s glory. It’s about HIS will for HIS creation. God’s story stands above ours but our story blends into the bigger story of God.
Here are some blog posts about my personal journey with God:
How God told me which major to choose in college
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got
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