Have you ever asked a question like “What is God’s will for my life?” I hope that you ask this question regularly in some form. Oftentimes, though, when people are wondering about God’s will, it’s in regard to some specific crossroads in their life: should I live here or there? Should I stick with my job or seek another? Does God want me to spend the rest of my life with this potential husband or wife, or not?

Life situations like these are certainly times for seeking the Lord in prayer. However, God doesn’t necessarily hit us over the head to show us exactly how to make all of our life decisions. Instead, He gives us godly wisdom through Scripture and through trustworthy believers around us to help us choose. 

Christians in their teens and twenties may ask “What is God’s will for my life?” as they make decisions about their educational and professional development, career choices, and relationships. Again, there won’t always be a specific Bible verse to tell you precisely where to go to school or whom to marry, but God’s Word does have plenty to say to us about His will for our lives. 

No matter where you live, what you do for work, or what age you are, Jesus makes God’s will quite clear for our lives: “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise Him up at the last day” (John 6:40). St. Paul also writes in 1 Timothy 2:3b-4, “God our Savior, … desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” You can know with certainty, then, that above all else, the Lord wants you to believe in Jesus, receive His gift of salvation, and walk in the truth of His Word. So, as we make more specific decisions in our lives, God’s will that we would live and believe in Jesus must take precedence. If those decisions might negatively affect our faith in our Savior, then we should re-examine them and seek out fellow believers for support.

As believers in Jesus, we also uphold God’s Law, which certainly shows our sins but also teaches us God’s will for faithful Christian living. Jesus famously summarized God’s Law by saying, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40) While Jesus briefly summarized God’s Commandments with these verses, it is no small thing to love God and love your neighbor in this way! Only Jesus fully accomplishes this, but as we live in Him and by His strength, we are called to live in Christlike love.

The Ten Commandments also summarize God’s Law and His will for our lives but in a much more comprehensive way. As we examine our daily lives, our direction, and the condition of our hearts, God’s Ten Commandments continue both to accuse us and to direct our steps and our attitudes. The explanations and various questions and answers on the Ten Commandments in Luther’s Small Catechism are a tremendously valuable resource for examining our hearts and lives and for learning and applying God’s will.

One of my personal favorite passages on this topic is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, in which Paul writes to us, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  These verses (and the surrounding passage) provide such a “short and sweet” summary of a Christian approach to life. Rejoice in Christ your Savior. Be constant in prayer. Return thanks to the Lord, both when it’s easy to do so and hard as well. This is also a passage that applies to every believer in Christ. Whether you are a young adult celebrating your graduation, in midlife juggling a host of responsibilities, or in your retirement years, the joy of the Lord is your strength. His ear is graciously open to your prayers. And His gift of salvation, along with all His daily blessings, call for thanksgiving. “This is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” The Lord bless you as you walk in it!

Peace in Christ,

            Pastor Kory Janneke