As a pastor, one request I hear repeatedly from people is their desire to know God's will for their life. And by "God's will" they are usually wanting to know about a career to pursue, place to live, school to attend, and whom to marry. These are not bad questions and I certainly agree that we should pray and think about these matters. However, when I read about "God's will" in scripture I rarely see it used in this way. While the Bible doesn't tell every person on earth specifically what his or her life's calling will be, it does give us a lot of general direction:
"You are to serve the least of these." Yes.
"You are to care for the orphan and the widow." Yes.
"You are to deny yourself and follow Jesus." Yes.
"You are to love God with all your heart and love your neighbor. And your neighbor includes sinners, tax collectors, and even your enemies." Yes.
"You are to go and make disciples." Yes.
"You are to show mercy and walk humbly with God." Yes.
"You are to be holy because God is holy." Yes.
I wonder sometimes if we focused more on doing the revealed will of God, perhaps the specifics of our lives would fall into place. Don't get me wrong...God cares about the school you attend, but he cares more about your heart and the way you live.
"Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you." Psalm 25:4-5
