The exciting news is that as a Christian,
God’s will for your life
is part of your very being.
As Christians, we all have great concern about God’s will. We want to know whom to marry, where to live, where to go to church. We wonder what kind of car or home God wants us to buy. How many children should we have? Unfortunately, no Bible verses say, “Thou shalt have six children,” or “Thou shalt drive a Ford,” or “Thou shalt remain single,” or “Thou shalt (whatever it is we want an easy answer to).” Yet these are subjects that greatly concern us. Many of us will spend much of our lives seeking such answers, and questioning decisions on issues simpler than these—issues for which there are no clear and direct answers in Scripture.
We are rightfully concerned about wrong turns. For instance, it is said that in the United States alone there are more than 23,000 ways to make a living. According to some surveys, approximately eighty-eight percent of Americans who work have jobs they do not like or they would not choose for a career. Christians should not be included in such statistics, for we have a God who can lead us in the paths best suited to us. If that is true, how do we find God’s will or direction for life?
Interestingly, two of the major passages Paul writes concerning spiritual gifts begin by talking about God’s will. In Romans 12:2, Paul’s introduction to spiritual gifts speaks of that “good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” So, if we want to know what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God for our lives, then it must have something to do with spiritual gifts.
What is the relationship between God’s will and spiritual gifts? First, your gift is always in perfect harmony with God’s will for your life. Remember, what God has called you to do He has gifted you to do, and what He has gifted you to do, He has called you to do. Second, understanding God’s will for your life is much easier when you know your spiritual gift. The earlier you understand your spiritual gift, the easier it will be to determine God’s will for your life.
If your area of service does not correspond with your spiritual gift, you may become discouraged and frustrated and never find out where you really belong. You won’t understand yourself, the gifts, or other Christians around you. In turn you could eventually become a dropout or end up doing nothing for God. The key is for Christians to learn about spiritual gifts in the early stages of their Christian life. This will give them a better angle on God’s will for their lives and give them more direction as they start their Christian walk.
God’s will is part of the Christian’s very being, and that being is strongly influenced by our God-given spiritual gifts.
In light of these facts, your emphasis should shift from trying to find God’s will, to walking with God in the Spirit-filled life and finding and implementing your spiritual gifts. When this is done, God’s will comes naturally.
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Dr. Larry Gilbert is founder and chairman of Ephesians Four Ministries, and founder of ChurchGrowth.org. For more on spiritual gifts, see Dr. Gilbert’s books, from which this article was condensed: Team Ministry: Gifted to Serve (for pastors and group leaders) and Your Gifts: Discover God’s Unique Design for You (for individuals and groups).
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4 Comments. Leave new
I wanted to know how can we discern God’s will in my life and obey His direction and revelation knowledge with spiritual understanding to do His will that is pleasing to God without having so much obstacles and interference when the world doesn’t care? People are just being lovers of themselves. Its sad to see that a lot of churches and congregations just give up and pick and choose their 5-fold ministry. And dump and reject the weaker ones. God please guide the lost sheep that have no shepherd. But God. I know that You are the great I AM and the Great Shepherd. Help us find our way home. Amen. God bless this city and nation in Jesus Mighty Name I Pray and will continue to interceed with all my heart and Love. To love the people like you Loved us. Thank you my Lord and Savior of this world. You are worthy to be praised. Amen. Give me Divine Wisdom….
Yes… God’s will for each of our lives will best flow through the spiritual gifts He has given to each of us to walk in. I have a quick formula for figuring that out. Here it is… If you had all the money in the world… and did not have to work (now hold on… it will make since in a minute)… then what would like to do with your life… something that seems to flow from you, something that reason to get up in the morning… and to do that thing you love so much. It could be working with children in a Bible School environment… here or overseas. It could be starting a homeless shelter in your home town. Starting a soup kitchen, or mission… etc. Now take that spiritual gift and there are many… it doesn’t have to be on this list… but it would have to line up with God’s HOLY Word of course…. take that spiritual gift and connect it to your life you have now. If you have a job working for a company where God has placed you… because He knows the people there don’t know Christ… then be missionary there… the Holy Spirit will lead you on how to do that (and be gentle and loving for God draws us with loving kindness)
What every gift you have you CAN morph it into where you are now… and if God wants you doing full-time mission work… and you feel it strongly in your heart… then pray about it… cover EVERYTHING in prayer… and He will make a way for you… where there seems to be no way.
When you go into your prayer closet tomorrow morning (or now if you just got up) then begin this wonderful journey by talking to your Abba Pappa Daddy Heavenly Father… praying in the name or authority of Yeshua HaMassiach (Jesus Christ in Hebrew).
Also… ask Abba if there is any one you need to forgive… if so ask Him to help you forgive… He will counsel you in the prayer closet. He is our Counselor remember. But also stay in the Word of God, Prayer, Worship… how ever Adoni (the Lord) leads you as you have your quiet time with Him.
Pretty simple. Our Papa Creator wants us to know these things more than we want to know them. Then go to him… and make sure you are repenting of sin and iniquites if they occur. 1 John 1:9 tells us this. Walk in holiness with the Holy Spirit. “Be ye Holy as I am Holy says the Lord God”. Hallelujah! 🙂 God is good. All the time. God is good!
In your opening comments to this article you say that scripture does not say thou shall remain single, when in fact 1 Corinthians 7:8 Paul says, “But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I.”
The word does in fact imply to the single that it is better to remain as such. It doesn’t however say anything that God has the one picked out for you.
Paul used the word “good,” but Andy (Dominguez) replaced it with “better.” These two words do not mean the same thing!