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What is God's will for your life?

by James Barringer  
11/02/2009 / Christian Living

Despite using the question in this essay's title - for the shameless reason that people will get curious and want to read the answer - I think that asking "What is God's will for my life" may not be the best question a person could ask.

Does God have a specific plan for each of our lives? Scripture seems to indicate yes, but not as clearly as you might think, given how strongly we emphasize the idea. Romans 12 opens with a good proof, though, urging us not to be conformed to this world, but instead, to be transformed by God, "so that you may know the will of God, which is good, acceptable, and perfect." There is a lot I could say about this passage, but the gist is that God does indeed have a plan for you, and you can find out what it is. In fact, that's his goal, to lead you through his plan for you, so that in the end you will be more like Jesus.

However, God's plan for your life might not be as you-centered as you might think.

I would say that 98% or more of God's will is the same for all of us. The vast majority of what he wants you to do in your life is identical to what he wants me to do. Love the Lord your God, he says; love your neighbor as yourself; take care of the impoverished, the widow, the orphan. Live your life without lying, cheating, or stealing. In fact, one of the really remarkable things about the Bible is that almost all of it applies to almost all of us. You'd be hard-pressed to read any chapter in the Bible and say, "That simply doesn't include any lesson for me in it."

The issue is that a great many people get caught up in the 2%, the part of God's plan that's specific to their lives, without devoting a whole lot of effort to the greater 98%, the things that we should all be doing. I know back when I was 21 and asking God for a girlfriend, I should have known that the answer was not going to be forthcoming, because I was arrogant and prideful and bigoted. I couldn't have the 2%, the best and biggest of God's plan for me, without at least making inroads on the other 98%. The thing we have to understand is that the 98% is foundational. We will not be prepared for the 2% until we get the bedrock, the foundation, lined up. I do not mean to imply that we have to be perfect, but God will not build a beautiful house on an ugly and misshapen foundation. He often withholds his best and biggest from us until we're more ready to receive it. You wouldn't give a seven-year-old the keys to a brand new Porsche, would you? No, because the child isn't ready until he grows and develops a little more.

Some people may be offended at this suggestion, the idea that only 2% of God's plan (or less; I pulled that number out of my hiney) is unique to each of us. There's really no need to be. Scientists say that humans share 98% of our DNA with apes, but that 2% is the difference between New York City and picking fleas out of each other's fur in the Congo. Similarly, that tiny sliver of uniqueness is the difference between Chris Tomlin and Billy Graham, between Martin Luther and Martin Luther King Junior. If you looked at all four of those people on the inside, you'd see that who they are in their hearts is pretty similar. They all obeyed the same rules that God lays down; they all read the same Bible; they all prayed; they all loved; they were all faithful. The differences in vocation and accomplishments are honestly quite cosmetic.

If you're looking to know God's will for your life, and you don't know for sure what it is, the most important thing you could do is start with the things that you do know for sure. Rather than asking, "What is God's will for my life," a person could simply ask, "What is God's will, period?" The Bible discusses a great many things that answer that question; you could basically open it to a random page and start finding answers. Essentially, though, God's will is for each of us to love people, to be humble, to provide for people in need, and many other things. We can start there. All of the great men and women of faith did. It should be fairly easy to look at each of our lives and see areas where we know we're not currently doing God's will.

Like I said, I don't mean to imply that God is going to wait until you get things completely sorted out before he'll come and tell you the specific 2% that he has for you. But as long as you're waiting to find out what he has to say, you may as well be working on the things that you can work on in the here and now. You may not know who he wants you to marry, but you can work on becoming the kind of person who will be a good spouse. You may not know where God wants you to go or what he wants you to do, but you can work on preparing yourself and building good habits so that you will be able to do whatever he calls on you to do when that call arrives.

It's a kind of synergy. Of course God could do it all on his own if he desired; he is God, and he requires no help from us. But he gives us a great and powerful gift by allowing us to take part in his plan. Can we even imagine how amazing it is that a high and holy God could make his will known to us? Yet he does, and what a blessing it is. The really neat thing is that most of it is very easy to discover, and very easy again (as long as we have his Holy Spirit inside, helping us) to carry out. That ease is why it makes sense for his general will, the 98%, to be the logical place where we start when we're trying to figure out the 2% that's specific to our lives. It's an easy lesson, and God's presence will be with us as we strive to become more like Jesus every day.

Jim Barringer is a 38-year-old writer, musician, and teacher. More of his work can be found at facebook.com/jmbarringer. This work may be reprinted for any purpose so long as this bio and statement of copyright is included.

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