How then do we know what God’s will is for our life? Many say “If I knew what He would want me to do then I’d do it, but I don’t, therefore I can’t make a decision.” That’s where the Bible come in. In the Scriptures, God reveals to us what He wants us to do. The old acronym still rings true today; the Bible is the Christians Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. So, what are those instructions? As Francis Schaeffer put it, “How then shall I live?”

The following are those basic instructions based on the passages that discuss God’s will for mans life.

The will of God for your life is…

1) For you to be saved. (1st Timothy 2:4) This the starting point to being in God’s will. You must be saved in order to please Him. To have faith in Christ is to bring Him great joy and glory.

2) You must submit to authority. (1st Peter 2:15)

3) Suffer for the defense and/or proclamation of the Gospel. (1st Peter 3:17, 4:19)

4) Be wise, do not get drunk, be controlled by the Holy Spirit, speak to others in praise through Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Give thanks to God in your heart in every situation and for all things. Admonish others in the Word. (Colossians 3:16-17)

5) Do not be conformed to the world (i.e. it’s passion for the flesh, desires of the eyes, and pride in possessions) (1st John 2:16, Romans 12:2)

6) Be a fruitful Christian. Show, and grow in the following attributes; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

7) Grow in the knowledge of Christ. Sit under Godly teaching and preaching and read and study your Bible. (Colossians 1:10)

8 Be dependent upon God for endurance, patience, power, and joy in life. (Colossians 1:11)

9) Be thankful for His grace in choosing to save you from your sin. (Colossians 1:12-14)

10) Be sanctified (Become more like Christ) through the abstaining of sexual sin. (1 Thessalonians 4:3)

The previous 10 points are basic instructions. They don’t answer who you should marry or what job you should take but go through them looking for a contradiction in what you would like to do and what God’s word says to do. Where God’s word isn’t explicit then pray about the situation for further wisdom and guidance. If resolution still doesn’t occur; act. Act and take pride in the fact that God has given you the chance to please Him either way you choose.

If you spend more than 3 minutes in a church setting you will likely hear something like this sentence thrown about. It is a biblical statement through and through. The most famous passage of the Bible, John 3:16, declares God’s love for His creation. Romans 8:28 declares that “ALL things works for the good” of His people. This statement provides great comfort for those in times of trouble. It only solidifies what we know from James 1:3 that our trials are there to serve our ultimate good; “For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

What this sentence alludes to, however, is nothing short of the most important question every Christian asks in His walk with Christ. How do I know God’s plan (or will) for my life? The question about God’s will for ones life usually revolves around such questions as; Who should I date/marry? What vocation should I pursue? What job should I take? Where should I live? Theologian and pastor R. C. Sproul has stated numerous times on his radio program Renewing Your Mind that the question of knowing God’s will has been the number one question that Christians ask him in his 40 plus years of ministry. It is something that every Christian wants to know. We want to please Christ in all that we do. We want to date/marry the person that pleases God. We want to take the most God glorifying job that we can possibly find. It is in the nature of a Christians changed heart to want to please God in everything we do. So, the question remains, “How do I know the will of God?”

One thing we must guard against is a worrisome attitude about the future. To worry about the future God has in store for you is not humbleness; it is actually arrogance and distrust. It is you saying to God, “You haven’t shown me what is in store for me in the future. That information is above my pay grade but I don’t care. I deserve to know what you have chosen not to reveal to me.” It is reading in Scripture “The secret things belong to the Lord” (Deut. 29:29) and saying “God you cannot keep anything from me.” We must realize that we are finite creatures and He is infinite. He does indeed know best. Believe it or not, the creator of the universe knows what He is doing. Trust in that fact that God hasn’t even left a hair on your head unnumbered. (Luke 12:7) Do not be anxious about your life, or what you will eat, or wear. God takes care of the sparrows of the sky. How much more important are you? (Matt. 7:25-34)

In the next blog we will take a look at the specific Scripture passages that mention the will of God for our life. I believe you will be astonished at how specific His instructions are, yet at the same time, very open so that we might have the freedom to choose our own destination in life.

Why is it that we, humans, seem to always think that there is an exception to every rule?  For instance, Speed Limit: 25 mph (unless, of course, you are in a hurry or are very familiar with the neighborhood); No food or drinks in the sanctuary (unless you work at the church); No chocolate when you’re on a diet (unless it’s a special occasion).

Speaking of “special occasions”… we seem to believe many things are acceptable on occasion.  And some things are – eating dessert, staying up past “bed time,” sleeping in, etc.  But for things that are clearly prohibited in scripture, there are no exceptions.  For instance, unforgiveness is always sin, lying is always sin, adultery is always sin, and dressing immodestly is always sin.  There are no “special occasions” – not even Halloween.

For some reason, it is an accepted belief that “dressing up” means you are “allowed” to wear whatever you aren’t “supposed to” wear the rest of the year.  Like somehow Halloween gives permission for believers to act and/or dress like unbelievers.   I disagree.  Sadly, each Halloween I am more and more discouraged by the costumes many sisters in Christ choose to wear.  Low-cut tops, miniskirts, and outfits that look “painted on,” dominate the 20-something scene, when the Bible explicitly states that “women are to dress modestly….”

These costumes are not only revealing, but many promote, encourage, or allude to sinful activities.  And I’m not talking about witches.  Use a little imagination, and I’m sure you can think of numerous costumes you’ve seen that cause your mind to drift toward impurity.

In 1 Timothy 2:9, God speaks through Paul, “I also want women to dress modestly… appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”  Dressing modestly matters because we are commanded to be holy as our Father in heaven is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16).  We, women, also need to help keep our brothers in Christ from stumbling into sin (Romans 14:13).  Mary K. Mohler writes, “Don’t blame the men around you who happen to be unfortunate enough to be within sight and say that they need to get their minds out of the gutter…”  A good friend of mine used to say, “If it ain’t for sale, don’t put the sign in the yard!”  And most importantly, a lost and dying world is watching us, Christians, to see if we are different.  We need to set an example so that if people “do not believe the word, they may be won over without words…when they see the purity and reverence of your lives” (1 Peter 3:1).

But when you really get down to it, dressing modestly stems from a pure heart that desires to please the Lord and honor Him in mind and body – a desire to be holy as He is holy.  So, I challenge you, this Halloween – “Choose this day whom you will serve… as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).