Walking in the Will of God

by Carmen Williams

“For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me.”

JOHN 6:38

What exactly does it mean to be in the “will of God”? If you took a hard look at your own life right now and asked the question, ‘am I walking in God’s will for my life?’, what would your honest answer be? Would you even know how to answer that? 

I can say for myself that for many years I was out of alignment with God’s will for my own life. Even today, there are times when I ask myself, “am I in alignment with God’s will for my life in this season?” And sometimes the answer is simply, no.  

But thank God for His abundant grace because He always finds a way to get me realigned with Him- no matter what circumstances or season of life I’m in. 

So before I go any further, let me first pose the question: WHAT does it mean to be in the “Will of God”?

Well, firstly, when I think about what it looks like to be in God’s will, the first person I think about is Jesus. He was ALL about God’s business. Everything He did and said was in perfect alignment with God’s plan for redeeming the world because that was Jesus’ mission- to reconcile us to God, to save us all from our sins, and to give us life more abundantly. Jesus knew why He came to earth. He even says in John 6:38 that He came from heaven to do the Will of the Father, who sent Him. So when I think about doing God’s will for my life, I instantly think about what my mission is. As Christians, we have all been given the Great Commission of going into all the world and making disciples of Christ- but the next question should be, how are you going to accomplish that? God has graced us all with different gifts and talents, and we can use them to minister the Gospel in our own unique way. Jesus was God in human form, but even He had unique qualities about Himself. He had the incredible ability to relate to the common man. He had a modest upbringing and a meek personality, so it was easy for Him to engage with the poor and marginalized of society. What are you gifted to do? What has God given you a passion for? The Word says we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and God has created each of us with a unique gift and purpose. God’s will for our lives and our passions do not have to travel two separate roads. Championing your gift, passion, and purpose with God’s Word and direction will guide you into the path of His Good and Perfect will for your life. 

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

ROMANS 12:2

In addition to your gifting, there’s also a sense of knowing that comes with being in the will of God. When you know that you know something, nobody can tell you different. Jesus knew His calling from the start. It was not something that anyone could change His mind about. It reminds me of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, crying out to Father with a heart of anguish and asking the Lord that if it be possible, to let “this cup” (crucifixion) pass from Him, however ending with “nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.” The only other time I can recall Jesus mentioning the Lord’s will being done, is when He is teaching the disciples how to pray with The Lord’s Prayer. “Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven…” (Matthew 6:10). And surrounding this lesson on prayer, Jesus also instructs the disciples to not worry about the things of the world or the problems of life, but to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness first (Matthew 6:33). I believe Jesus was very intentional with His dialogue in Matthew 6 because He is trying to drive home the idea of God’s will requiring strong faith and an abandonment of carnal cares. In addition to that, when you are truly in the Will of God, every thing may not make sense. In the garden, Jesus knew the Father’s will had to take precedence over His own, no matter how unfair or terrifying it seemed. And it is important to note that Jesus was still God in the form of Man, so this task as terrifying as it was, was given to Jesus because of who He is. So in the same way, God will take who you are and your own personal life experiences, and allow you to use them for His glory. 

Now I know you’re thinking, WHAT does any of that have to do with ME walking in God’s Will for my life? And how can I know that I’m walking rightly? Well I’m glad you asked because I broke it all down in three simple points. Here’s how you can ensure you’re walking in God’s Will for your life: 

1. It is always in direct alignment with God’s Holy Word, the Character of who God is, and His ultimate plan for all of our lives (salvation and sanctification). God’s plan always includes saving His children. So His will for your life will be directly related to you either evangelizing to or discipling people (or both). It may be formal, informal, structured or free-form, or even in-person or virtual- but it is happening in some capacity. You may not even notice you’re doing it, but it will sit well in your spirit when you find yourself ministering to your friend over a cup of coffee, or reminding an instagram follower of God’s faithfulness. When you’re walking in God’s will, His word won’t be too far from your conversation.
2. If you know, you know! Remember when I mentioned that there is a sense of “knowing” that comes with the will of God? Well there’s also a sense of peace that follows. When you’re walking the path that God has laid out for you, there is a Peace that rests on you everywhere you go. Even if the waters are uncharted and the land is unknown, God will give you Faith and Peace to go forward. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen! His path is always a Faith walk, but He promises to never leave you or forsake you. That’s where the Peace comes in. So take a leap! Whether God is calling you to start something new (business, blog, school, etc.) or pick up something that you left off. This may be God’s way of realigning you with what He called you to do in the first place. Take a chance on Him- He’s never lost.
3. It’s not always easy. *Cues “Can’t Give Up Now” by Mary Mary* Nobody said it would be easy! But Jesus makes it worthwhile. When He was on His Knees in the Garden of Gethsemane in agony, He wanted to give up but He knew that His mission and task were nothing to be compared to what was coming. His attitude was: nevertheless, the Lord’s will must be done! Jesus even comes back and warns us that in this life we will have trouble, but to take heart, for He has overcome the world! And He has made us more than conquerors as a result. You might have to travel the road alone at times- but the truth is, you are never really alone. God is always with you.
   
   So there you have it. The down and dirty. The nitty gritty. Overall I want you to be encouraged. Walking in the will of God is not always popular and will not always garnish the support of the world, but GOD HAS YOUR BACK. Psalms 91 is a faithful reminder of his loving and active protection of our lives. So walk boldly and upright, knowing that God is pleased to see you walking in Him.

You can follow the author of this post Carmen Williams, on her personal Instagram, her professional page on Instagram @ThePrayingMillennial, or at www.ThePrayingMillennial.wordpress.com