One of the most common discussions we have in the social circles of the young adults fellowship is about God’s will. How do you know what it is? And how are we supposed to make life decisions if we’re not sure what God’s will is?
One of my favorite books on the topic is Kevin DeYoung’s Just Do Something. I’ve given it to a few friends in the group. The subtitle is A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will, or, How to Make a Decision without Dreams, Visions Fleeces, Impressions, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing in the Sky, Etc… And, that about sums it up.
Here’s a great section:
So here’s the real heart of the matter: Does God have a secret will of direction that He expects us to figure out before we do anything?
And answer is no.
Yes, God has a specific plan for our lives. And yes, we can be assured that He works things for our good in Christ Jesus. And yes, looking back we will often be able to trace God’s hand in bringing us to where we are.
But while we are free to ask God for wisdom, He does not burden us with the task of divining His will of direction for our lives ahead of time.
Another way to say it might be, God isn’t waiting for us to figure out how to read the tea leaves, as if he’s hiding clues to his will around us and we need to put the pieces together know what to do.
I recommend this book. It’s not the last word on the subject of God’s guidance, but it does unpack a couple really important principles.