“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 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. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” – Romans 12:1-3
How do you know God’s will for your life?
When life meets a crossroads, how do you know which path to choose? We often ask this question when we’re wrestling with a specific decision. What is God’s will for my career? What is God’s will for where I attend University? What about God’s will as it relates to whom I should marry or where I should live? The Bible does not address every specific life decision, but it does give us very specific direction and clarity of God’s will for our lives.
You see, God wants us to understand His will for our lives. He’s not holding out on us or trying to make us guess. He’ll always show us what is best for us if we’re willing to trust Him. So, how do we discover God’s will for our lives? Let’s look at Romans 12:
- God’s will is rooted in MERCY and GRACE.
God’s will is not about us proving our worth or earning our keep. It’s not about striving hard and pulling off an excellent performance. God’s will for us is not about our works, deeds, and accomplishments as an attempt to earn His love. In other words, God’s will is not about what we do; it’s about what He has already done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ! Our role is to place our trust in the finished work of Christ at the cross.
- God’s will is that we present our LIVES to God as an act of worship.
God doesn’t want to hand out advice – He wants to give you new life! The greatest act of worship you can offer God is to trust Him with your life. This is saying, “Whatever You want from me or to do through me, I’m in! The answer is, “Yes! Here I am. Send me. I want my life to be lived for Your glory! I want my life to make an impact on others. You have set me free in Your love and grace, and I am Yours!”
If your desire is to glorify God with your life, your choices and decisions all boil down to one question: “Will this glorify God?” If the answer is yes, I’m in! If no, then no thank you. With each decision, ask the question, “Can I do this as an act of worship?” If this is your perspective, decisions and choices become much easier.
- God’s will is always REVEALED in His word.
Are you trusting in the world’s wisdom or God’s? If you’re conformed to the wisdom of this world, then you will have great difficulty comprehending God’s Word. But if you trust the mercy and grace of God, and are willing to present your life to God as an act of worship, then you will be transformed by the Word of God and will be able to understand God’s will clearly!
- God’s will is that we live with Gospel HUMILITY.
Gospel humility is all about understanding who we are through the lens of the Gospel. In our culture of pride and inflated egos, we love to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. But the Bible says, “Don’t do that!” Look at your life through the lens of the Gospel. Remember who God is. Remember who you are and whose you are. Never forget that we all are in need of a Savior.
So how do we live in the center of God’s will? It starts with knowing who you are through Jesus Christ and living your life as a child of God – fully accepted and fully loved, just as you are.
Adapted from a sermon by George Wright, Senior Pastor, Shades Mountain Baptist Church
