How do I find God’s guidance for my life?
Finding God’s will for one’s life is probably the most asked question in Christianity today. The first thing you have to remember when asking this question is that God is a master planner and when he created you he had a very specific plan. A plan that he does not want to hide from you! Isaiah 58:11 talks about how the Lord will continually guide you. Step one ask, check, and done. When hearing God’s answer there are two things to keep in mind:
1. God wants to tell you, so it won’t be hard to discern or will seem contrary to who you are.
For example, if you love to draw and spend your time daydreaming or living in your imagination, and you hear “go be an accountant” something is getting lost in translation. So take a breath, ask again.
2. Remember God only has plans to prosper you, Jeremiah 29:11, therefore his answer will be something you will enjoy and are naturally good at.
If you only get an answer that seems contrary to the principles above, then go talk to your pastor, mentor, or someone who you respect that you know hears from God. Sometimes there are things in our lives that distort what we hear from God. Our leaders serve as a sounding board to confirm or clarify what we are hearing from God.
Once you have heard your answer, whether it is the general will for your life or a specific situation, comes the fun part! Start to move in the direction that God has shown you. Usually, that means taking a small step in that direction. Remember a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Daniel Kolenda outlines these steps for following God’s will.
They are:
- use what you are good at for the Glory of God
- serve someone else’s vision
- do what you can and use what is in your hand
- stop procrastinating
- Don’t bow to your fears
Most importantly, have fun! God has such an exciting plan for your life and he wants to discover it with you!