Which is God‘s Will?

This evening I took this picture ⬇️

This question came to mind: Which is God’s Will? Laundry or writing which would I consider God’s Will? For me, it’s easier to think writing is more important because I enjoy the work. I enjoy the opportunity to use the ability God gave me as the Lord allows.

Often times, we have this mindset that doing big things is God’s Will. The mindset of “God give me the answers to these questions: “Who should I marry? What job should I have? Where should I live?” While these are good questions to seek the Lord about, what if God’s Will could be summed up in one simple word: obedience.

What’s God’s Will for your life?

First, He desires all mankind to repent of sin and rebellion against Him and accept Jesus’ Lordship over their lives. His desire is for us to choose the Way that leads to Life not death and Hell. He commands us to share the Gospel and the Truth about Jesus. The thing is there are many ways to do so.

What if God’s Will is for you to spend time in His Word, to learn what the Bible says, so the myriad of voices that say something different doesn’t confuse you. What if His Will is for you to pray and ask Him how to spend the day He gave you breath for? What if He nudges you and tells you not to use that type of language or not to go to a certain location? What if His Will is for us to be thankful and not complainers all the time? What if He tells you to talk to the person at the store? What if God tells you to pursue a job that wasn’t in your plans? What about forgiving the person who hurt you?

Would you still obey? Would you still obey if God moved you from where you are comfortable to somewhere you never planned? Would you wait if God said to wait?

Would you obey if God told you to fold laundry rather than your passion that you feel is more like God’s Will?

Jesus said in the parable of the talents

21 “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

Some translations say , “the little things.” Jesus obeyed God the Father all the years He was physically on this earth, whether a carpenter during the preparation years, or performing miracles during the ministry years. He obeyed. He took the time to get alone and enjoy His relationship with His Father through conversation and prayer.

As the years pass and things change, what the Lord allows you to have the opportunity to do could change. I spent a few years making journals for a season that ended. I have taught at church which has continued. I am writing on this blog now. If things change in the future, does it mean those seasons weren’t God’s Will? No, if you obey then you are exactly in God Will. For Jesus and Paul, and many other martyrs that Will included persecution and suffering.

The thread that continues through the years , as we seek to live for Christ , is obedience . Whether tasks end, people pass away, jobs are lost, we always have the opportunity , the choice to obey.

God’s Will for us is stated clearly in certain scriptures:

Philippians 4:4-9

4 Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!” 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report: if there is any virtue and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-23

16 Always rejoice. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. 19 Don’t quench the Spirit. 20 Don’t despise prophecies. 21 Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans Chapter 8

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.† 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace; 7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile toward God, for it is not subject to God’s law, neither indeed can it be. 8 Those who are in the flesh can’t please God.

9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his. 10 If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God. 15 For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba!‡ Father!”

16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us. 19 For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. 23 Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees? 25 But if we hope for that which we don’t see, we wait for it with patience.

26 In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. 27 He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God.

28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.§ 30 Whom he predestined, those he also called. Whom he called, those he also justified. Whom he justified, those he also glorified.

31 What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things? 33 Who could bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Even as it is written,

“For your sake we are killed all day long.

We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”*

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians Chapter 4

1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in us all. 7 But to each one of us, the grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Therefore he says,

“When he ascended on high,

he led captivity captive,

and gave gifts to people.”*

9 Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

11 He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds† and teachers; 12 for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; 15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ, 16 from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.

17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts. 19 They, having become callous, gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you didn’t learn Christ that way, 21 if indeed you heard him and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.

25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and don’t sin.”* Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 and don’t give place‡ to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.

Are we truly seeking to follow God’s Will, or are we hoping that His Will lines up with our dreams? Would you obey if marriage was a no from Him? Would you still obey if He has a different job plan ahead for you? Would you obey the still small voice He prompts us with , even if the step of obedience was to pray for someone? To forgive someone? To do the dishes or the laundry that has piled up? What if it was to cut out that activity that keeps you from time with Him or other believers?

Which is God’s Will? It’s whatever step of obedience God tells us to take as we take the time to get to know His Word and His Character through a relationship with Him. Just know, He will never tell you to do or act in way that is contrary to what His Word says.

Jesus was obedient all His days on earth. While, we will never be perfect this side of Heaven, obedience is God’s desire for His children, who have confessed that they want Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives.

God’s Will , God’s desire for His People is obedience.

*All scriptures are from the World English Bible.