What Is God’s Will For My Life?

“God has a plan even when it doesn’t seem fair to us.” ~ Incourage.com 

Committed Christ followers desire to know one important thing:  how can I know God’s will for my life?

I recently met a woman that helped me understand the answer to this question. She taught me a simple, but powerful, lesson. She said, “surrendering to God’s will for my life is the pathway to the abundant life.” The type of surrendering she is talking about requires a complete attitude shift. It involves releasing your lack of control, your expectations, your hopes, all over to the care of a trustworthy God. She taught me a new way of living; to simply let go, moment by moment, day by day, to to the one that’s in control-God.

Sometimes, however, the most difficult thing to do is surrendering to God’s will for our lives.

The truth is, we often find it challenging to accept that we are exactly where God wants us.

If we admit that God is sovereign, then we are affirming that He is in control of every detail in our life. This means embracing our circumstances even when things don’t go the way we had hoped or wanted. It means learning to stay encouraged even when life is painful, and still believing in God’s good plans for us.

Could it be that God’s will is unfolding as it needs to in our lives?

Is it possible that God’s plans for us will be accomplished, in spite of us? I believe the secret to knowing God’s will for your life is found in surrendering to Him and accepting your lot in life. . .even when it seems unfair.

At the core of my unwillingness to surrender to God is a strong desire to control.

Although there is an innate compulsion to want to control, we must resist it. The consequence for not allowing God to reign in our lives is a lack of serenity in our heart. We have a role in the amount of peace and joy we have in our hearts.

About a year ago my life felt unmanageable and I hit a rock bottom of sorts. With the children all grown and out of the house, and two moves in 2 years, I felt unstable. I began to struggle with feelings of inadequacy, thinking I had no purpose in life. Since most of my days were spent alone and isolated, a subtle depression came upon me. My unhappiness became a wall around my heart, hardening it to all that God had for me. I was stuck in a mental and spiritual battle.

Today, looking back at my situation, I can now see that God was with me, despite my emotions.

He had a plan, even though at the time it sure didn’t feel that way. Because of the depth of loneliness I felt in those long, quiet days, I was pushed to look for a part time job, something I never thought I could do because of my ill health. I was afraid to work, but I sensed the Holy Spirit encouraging me to take a step of faith.

And then a miracle happened; God opened a door for me that only He could have, and brought me the most perfect job. This was much more than a job, because it is kingdom work-something my heart has yearned for. Had it not been for my overwhelming feelings of isolation, I wouldn’t have pushed myself to step out to look for a job. I now have a new purpose in life, something I had prayed for.

My loneliness also pushed me to join a small group, where I found a mentor (the woman I referenced earlier). I have slowly began to face some of the reasons for my unhappiness. I’ve learned that most of my unhappiness stems from myself; my perspective, my attitude, my unwillingness to accept things the way they are. Although, I had to endure a long painful season, I can now see that I was exactly where God wanted me to be.

The darkness propelled me to find a new joyful season of life.

“Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” ~ Psalm 30:5

We know that all things work together for good for them that love God (Romans 8:28). This is not a theory but a fact. Many things are not as they “should” be or how God originally designed them to be. This can be hard to accept at times, but God is still sovereign.

Surrendering to His will and accepting the path He has you on is where peace is found-the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding.

However, to ensure that you are on God’s right path for you requires intimacy with Jesus. Author and speaker, Lysa TerKeurst, explains this beautifully in her devotional, “Embraced,” when she says, “The key is to have your heart and mind aligned with God. Live out His Word and His plan for you will unfold day by day. Decision by decision.”

Today, I am working on trying to surrender my poor health to the Lord. I realize there’s a fine line between walking by faith, asking and believing for a miracle for my healing, and surrendering to God’s will. Knowing that nothing is too hard for God and that He can do anything (Job 42:2) makes it more challenging for me to accept that this (my poor health) could be His will. I know He can heal me in an instance and I desperately want to be healed from the pain of living with ill health. So I won’t give up seeking Him and asking Him to heal me. I must, however, remember to make my requests to God with a surrendered heart, trusting in His bigger purpose. It’s possible that this might be a part of His grander purpose that I can’t understand right now. I can, however, choose to take His hand and trust that He will take care of me.

The secret to understanding God’s will for your life is easy-it’s simply surrendering your all to Him.

Surrendering your all includes your attitude, your choices and your lack of control. You don’t have to search vigorously to know what His will is. His will is what’s happening, today, right now. Accept that you are where you are supposed to be, not matter how grave the situation my appear. Life may feel hard, but God is still good.

Submitting to God’s will also means allowing His Word to guide you. Asking the Holy Spirit to intercede on your behalf and being willing to wait are ways of trusting Him. Believe that He hears your prayers for help and will respond according to His good and perfect will for you. After all, He is sovereign over your life!

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are a child of God’s, and you can, therefore, rest in the assurance that His will has not passed you by. Find peace and comfort in knowing that you can count on God’s divine will happening as it needs to in your life.