In the
midst of today's busy world where everyone, especially the generation of
millennials now finding their way around this world, it can be quite difficult
to figure out God's will. What can one do in line with what God wants to do?
This can be a very difficult question to answer-pursuing your purpose that is,
hopefully, in sync with God's purpose for you.
Some thoughts on God's will and purpose
Finding
God's will entails a certain uncertainty. One can never be totally sure that
one is following God's will-but there can certainly be signs that one is on the
right track. Signs can be seen when you reflect, through prayer, on your
decisions. God nudges you in the right direction, helping you to discern which
path to take. How can one know if it is a sign from God or not? Just like any
good relationship, where on person knows the other person well, so it is with
God: if you nurture your relationship with Him and are familiar with his voice
and presence in your life, it will make it a lot easier for you to know when it
is Him leading you or when it is simply other voices telling you where to go.
Reading
Scripture also helps a person understand how God works in people's lives. While
the stories there may seem old, outdated, or almost in the realm of the
seemingly impossible, they still hold some insight as to how God intercedes and
interacts with certain individuals.
Partnering
with or accompanying others who are also trying to find God's will in their
lives will also help. As in any endeavor, support from friends and family will
always help you persevere and reach your goal rather than if you were doing it
alone without any help. A community that will also help you reflect on and
understand what has been happening in your life will ultimately also help you
find God's will more in your everyday, as we can sometimes have a "blind
spot" or have a tendency to get stuck-other people now come in and offer a
fresh perspective and new ways of looking at what's been happening in your
life.
Lastly,
a sign that you are following God's will is a certain peace that comes with
your decision, as if God were confirming your decision by gifting you the
feeling of peace from the Holy Spirit.
These
are just some ways of trying to find God's will in your life. It is definitely
not easy, nor always certain, nor glamorous. Some are called by God to places
that are way beyond their comfort zone. However, take heart that this God does
not call only those who are seemingly qualified or fit for what he wants, it is
he who equips and strengthens those he calls-as long as we are ready to respond
and say "Here I am,
Know
as well that there is something greater at work in your life, and that nursing
this relationship with God will allow you to be more attuned to what is
happening and where you are being called. Christians believe that this world
was not made by a random God, but rather by a gracious loving God for all of
creation, and so we can see this God reflected therein and get to know him more
through this world.
Finding
your purpose in life brings a sense of meaning as well: you do things not
simply because you want to, but because ultimately, you are working for
something bigger, sometimes even bigger than yourself, your ambitions, and your
goals. It keeps you waking up and going each morning, and when the going gets
tough, a gentle reminder is sometimes all it takes to remind you of why you are
doing something, despite its difficulty and stress. At the end of the day, it
is all worth it.
