What Is God’s Will for My Life?

Many of us treat God’s will like it’s a tight and narrow path. We expect God has a Plan A for our lives, and if we miss a step, then we’ll be forever stuck in Plan B. Or if we make several wrong decisions, then we’ll be stuck in Plan D or Q or Z.

But think about what that implies about God’s heart. It implies that even if we wholeheartedly want to follow God— we seek his will above all else—if we don’t “get it right” and figure out his will, then he’ll punish us with a less-than-the-best life path. Behind that way of thinking is the idea that God is out to hide good things from us. But that’s not who God is. “No good thing does [God] withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalm 84:11).

Because we want to follow God, we spend a lot of time trying to figure out what he wants us to do. Our tendency is to see God’s will as a set of directions. We want him to hand us a map for our lives, and we want to follow it perfectly. We live in fear that if we make a wrong decision, we’ll get off God’s “road” for our lives—never to get back on again. But that’s not at all what God is like or how his will works. God’s will for our lives is simply this: He wants us to be in constant, close relationship with him. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5–6).

Keep Your Eyes on God, Your Guide

God wants us to follow him. While that may not sound earth-shattering, there’s a distinct difference between following a map and following a person. If someone gave you a map showing you how to get somewhere, you’d focus on the map. But if someone asked you to follow them to the destination, you’d focus on keeping your eyes on that person, turning where they turned. God wants us to focus on him, following him through everything.

Instead of understanding God’s will as a narrow path, it’s better to picture it as an open field. Imagine God saying to you, “Here are the boundaries of the field, the guidelines you can follow to keep you from pain. But you have complete freedom to run and play everywhere inside the boundaries.”

Above all, God wants us to follow the guidelines he has given us. He wants us to seek him for direction about our decisions, but sometimes his direction isn’t black and white. In those times, he gives us the freedom to choose.

The Better You Know Him, the Easier It Is to Follow

So spend one-on-one time with God every day. Throughout the day, talk to God about what you’re experiencing. Get to know him better by reading his Word. Obey his commands. Invite him to lead you. As you do that, you’ll grow closer to him. You’ll know how he feels about certain things, your understanding of his heart will direct your decisions, and his Holy Spirit within you will guide you. Just as you know how your good friends would respond in certain situations because you know them so well, your closeness with God will allow you to know what he wants from you in most circumstances.

And when you’re walking with God and he doesn’t seem to be communicating his preference in a situation, go ahead and make a decision. Choose what you think is best.

Drawn from devotionals in the NIV Read. Think. Live. Bible.