Most Christians truly desire to understand God’s plan for their lives.
Yet there are many questions: how do I discover God’s plan? How can, I be sure? Fortunately, the Bible provides many important principles regarding the will of God.
God is not trying to hide His will for our lives; He wants His children to know
His will and follow it.
First, the Bible is filled with clear statements
regarding God’s plan that apply to all believers.
For example, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 teaches, “Be joyful always; pray continually;
give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
These three activities—being joyful, praying, and giving thanks—are God’s
will for all believers, regardless of other circumstances.
We can understand God’s will through His Word. God’s Word is perfect,
and we can discover God’s plan for our lives through our study of it.
Second Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Second, we can better understand God’s
plan for our lives by closely following Him.
Romans 12:1-2 promises, “I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” When we dedicate our lives to God and turn away from the principles of this world, we prepare our hearts to hear from God (also see 1 Peter 4:2).
First Thessalonians 4:3-7 confirms the necessity of being a “living sacrifice” and gives more detail about God’s plan: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”
Third, we can discover God’s plan through prayer.
Colossians 4:12 notes that a believer named Epaphras was “always wrestling
in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.” The Colossian believers needed to know and do the will of God, and so Epaphras prayed for them. We can grow in our understanding of God’s will through prayer. We can also pray for God to reveal His plan to others.
Fourth, God sometimes reveals or confirms.
His plans for us through other means, including personal circumstances, relationships,
or even dreams. However, these areas are often more subjective, and we must carefully evaluate such signs by what God has clearly said in Scripture.
We can rest assured of God’s promise: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8). As we pray, study Scripture, and seek to live holily before the Lord, He will reveal His plan for us in His perfect time and in a way we can understand.
Does God exist? Is there a God? How do we know God is real?
These questions have been asked for decades—even centuries.
People want proof, evidence and arguments for the existence of God.
The answer is available but it requires one thing: keep an open mind. Jesus made this promise to anyone seeking truth: “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. … For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds” (Matthew 7:7-8).
You have already asked yourself if God is real or not, but go one step further.
What if God exists, loves you, and wants you to know Him? For this theory to be proven true, God would have to reveal Himself to you. Not only would it answer the question but it would eliminate all doubt.
Let’s go through some evidence. God is not quiet. He announced Himself when He created the universe. The Bible says, “Since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God” (Romans 1:20).
If the universe was created by some random accident then there is no reason why it operates in an orderly manner and adheres to multiple laws. Yet, our world has structure—so much so the solar system was named accordingly. The reason why the universe obeys the laws of gravity, physics, energy and many others is because it was designed by a logical and orderly God.
But God went even further to reveal Himself when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth. Christ was human but also divine. Jesus declared He is God and then backed up His claim in many ways. He shared Himself with thousands of people during His ministry, and again to hundreds more after His death and resurrection.
In your search for truth, focus more of your effort on Jesus. You’ll discover He loves you. The clearest proof God is real is in Jesus’ prediction He would be killed and then come back to life a few days later. Not only did it prove He was God to everyone, but it clearly displayed His love for all of us. His death was the sacrifice that makes it possible for you to spend eternity with the living God who loves you and wants a relationship with you.
WHAT IS GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE (AND HOW TO FIND IT).
2020-2023 – Thomas Road On Demand (trbc.org)
Are you ready to know the real God?
Waking up feeling purposeless is incredibly frustrating. You look around and see your friends and coworkers living passionate, engaged, meaningful lives. They have deep relationships, rewarding jobs and a sense of direction that compels them to hop out of bed each morning with a spring in their step.
You know that God has something good in store for you. You don’t believe he intends you to live a life of painful drudgery in which each day is a total drag. After all, the Bible is chock full of passages about joy. While this certainly doesn’t mean that every single day is a parade and circus, it does mean that an overall sense of gladness should permeate your life.
In Psalm 63:7, David said, “…for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings
I will sing for joy.” How can you get to that place? Where, instead of wandering aimlessly through life, you’re actually singing for joy (or just making a joyful noise if you’re not the singing type)?
In this post, we’re going to first talk about some key signs that you may not be living in the fullness of God’s purpose for you. Then we’ll give some key suggestions for how to begin living a meaningful, enthusiastic, joyful life.
6 SIGNS THAT YOU MAY NOT BE LIVING IN GOD’S PURPOSE
Before we dive into this point, we need to make at least one caveat. In one sense, you are always living in God’s purpose. God is God and He works all things, including your life, according to his purposes. Nothing can happen without God ordaining it.
Psalm 57:2 says, “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.” This is key in understanding God’s purpose for your life. God has numbered your days and will fulfill every purpose He has for you.
However, our choices and actions also really matter. In some ways, this is a mystery we can’t fully understand, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. We can choose to do things that will bring us more joy and give us more of a sense of purpose. That’s where we’re headed in this post. We want to help you identify those choices you can make to bring more excitement and God-given purpose into your life.
But first, here are 6 signs that you don’t have much purpose in your life.
1. YOU’RE BLATANTLY LIVING IN SIN.
Let’s start with the obvious here. If you’re blatantly disobeying the Bible, you’re not living in God’s purpose and you will certainly experience a sense of aimlessness in your life. This one is pretty straightforward so we don’t need to spend too much time here.
2. YOU LACK JOY AND EXCITEMENT.
If you wake up every day filled with apathy or dread or total boredom, you’re probably not doing what you were meant to do. God has created you uniquely, has really good things planned for you and one of the fruits of the Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22). Sure, there will be difficult things you encounter that require patience and persistence, but overall you should have a sense of joy and excitement that fills your days, your work and your relationships.
In his book “Desiring God,” John Piper says:
The pursuit of joy in God is not optional. It is not an “extra” that a person might grow into after he comes to faith.
3. YOU DON’T FEEL MUCH FULFILLMENT IN LIFE.
If you go about your days experiencing little fulfillment, you may be wandering from your God-given purpose. Fulfillment comes from doing rewarding, meaningful, purposeful things. From a job that taps into your skills and passions. From a relationship that involves giving and receiving. From hobbies that are invigorating instead of mind-numbing. Yes, you’ll have to do certain things that are boring and unfulfilling, but if your entire life is gray, you probably need a change.
4. YOU WORK SO THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORK.
You know the feeling of pointless work. You go to the office, clock in, do your job,
then go home and collapse in front of the television. You work for the weekends and for retirement. All true joy you experience comes from things outside of work. From hobbies or friends or side jobs.
Ecclesiastes 8:15 says, “And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.”
Would you say that this kind of joy characterizes your life and work? If not, you may need to rethink where you’re headed.
5. YOU FEEL STUCK.
If you desperately want a change but also feel totally stuck in your life, that’s almost certainly a sign that you’re not walking according to God’s purpose. Those who are stuck want to go in a particular direction but don’t know how to get there. So they spin their wheels, feeling endlessly frustrated but unsure of how to make the frustration end.
Do you feel trapped?
5. YOU HAVE NO DIRECTION.
If you don’t know God’s purpose for your life, you constantly feel a sense of aimlessness. You feel as though you’re wandering from thing to thing without any forward progress. Nothing excites you and you don’t have any specific goals you’re working toward. Unlike the Israelites, who wandered for 40 years yet still had a goal (the Promised Land), you don’t even have a goal in front of you.
6 WAYS TO REGAIN YOUR PURPOSE
In his classic book “The Lord of the Rings,” J.R.R. Tolkien wrote a poem that included
the line, “Not all who wander are lost.” The same applies to you. Even though you feel like you’re wandering without any true purpose, that doesn’t mean you’re lost. You can regain your sense of purpose and discover what God has for your life.
Here are 6 ways to discover God’s purpose for your life.
1. GO TO GOD IN PRAYER.
Again, let’s start with the obvious. If you feel purposeless, ask God to give you wisdom
and direction. James 1:5 states, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
That’s incredibly good news. God wants to give you a purpose. He wants to bestow divine wisdom on you. It’s not like God is holding out on you to make you miserable. He desires you to have a joyful, ambitious, purposeful life. Ask God for purpose and expect Him to give it to you.
2. DIG INTO GOD’S WORD.
The primary way God speaks to us is through the Bible. This means that one of the first things you should do in your search for God’s purpose is to start digging into scripture. Now, you won’t find any verses that tell you to become a dance instructor or painter, but you will begin to understand the heart of God.
Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God’s word brings light to paths that otherwise seem dark. In the Bible you learn how to live wisely in God’s world, which is the first step toward finding your purpose.
3. DETERMINE YOUR GIFTS AND STRENGTHS.
God has given you very specific gifts and strengths. Maybe you’re a math whiz or a wise counselor. Maybe you have a mind for electronics or business. Maybe you’re great at organizing people and getting things done. God’s purpose for you probably involves the things you’re already good at.
This is where education can be particularly valuable. Going to college or going back to college allows you to discover your gifts and then determine how you’re going to use them. It also connects you with people who want to help you find your purpose.
4. DETERMINE YOUR PASSIONS.
What is one thing you’re particularly passionate about? Really, this can be anything. Business, art, economics, alleviating poverty, whatever. If money wasn’t an issue, what would you love to do?
Determining your passions often helps you figure out what God has called you to do. It’s often said that God works at the intersection of our gifts and our passions. Where do your gifts meet your passions? That may be God’s purpose for you.
5. BRING OTHERS INTO YOUR LIFE.
Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” In other words, one of the main ways God will help you find your purpose is through others.
A caveat needs to be made here. Your counselors should be people you trust. Whether this is your professors, parents or friends, it needs to be people who have your back and want the best for you. You want wise counselors to help you find God’s purpose for you.
6. A SOLITUDE RETREAT.
Sometimes it can be incredibly helpful to get away from it all and take some unhurried time to think, pray and journal. You don’t have to spend a week in the woods for this to be effective. Even just a day away from the hustle and grind can be hugely rewarding.
During these retreats, allow yourself to simply be still. To ponder. To ask God for direction and listen for His voice. This doesn’t need to be complicated and doesn’t require any elaborate rituals. Hebrews 11:6 is a reminder that God always rewards those who seek him. He’s not hiding in the dark, trying to keep his will hidden from you. He wants to guide you.
IN THE END, TRUST GOD
Trying to discover your life purpose can be a stressful, overwhelming thing. It can seem like such a big, confusing, frustrating subject. You want to move forward, but you’re not sure how. You want to find your purpose, but you feel like you’re aimlessly wandering.
But you can trust God to lead you where he wants you to go. As Psalm 23:2-3 says, “He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
You may feel confused, but God doesn’t.
PURPOSE IN A CHRIST-CENTERED PERSPECTIVE
Our programs at PGS focus on more than just the content learned in the classroom.
We care about how you live out what you’ve learned in your everyday life. In whatever vocation you find yourself in, our foundation brings a Christ-centered perspective.
FOR FURTHER STUDY
Something Needs to Change: A Call to Make Your Life Count in a World of Urgent Need by David PlattMore insights from your Bible study – Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free!How To Know (and follow) God’s Plan For Your Life (rethinknow.org)
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