What does God want me to do?

Answer

We ponder the question of what God wants us to do for various reasons. It could be due to facing a significant life decision and genuinely desiring to follow God’s plan. Alternatively, it might stem from a quest for God, believing that there are specific steps or guidelines to adhere to in order to find Him. Another reason for asking, “What does God want me to do?” could be a sense of lacking purpose or meaning in life, suspecting that God holds the answers. Whatever prompts this question, the Bible provides guidance on discerning God’s will for us.

When inquiring about God’s will for our lives, it is essential to remember that we are not merely human doings. We were created in God’s image as human beings to commune and walk in harmony with Him «So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. », (Genesis 1:27). Our actions should flow from our essence. Birds sing because they are birds; they do not sing to become birds. Their singing, flying, and nest-building are expressions of their nature. Therefore, what God truly desires is for our actions to spring from our being. He is not interested in perfunctory deeds devoid of heartfelt connection (Psalm 51:16-17;1 Samuel 15:22;Micah 6:6-8). Any service rendered to God should originate from a place of abundant love, worship, and surrender (Hosea 6:6;Hosea 12:6).

The primary action God desires from us is to accept His offer of salvation. We are helpless in our sin and incapable of earning our way into His presence. This is why Jesus came into the world to bear the punishment we deserve «For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.», (2 Corinthians 5:21). When we place our faith in Christ’s death and resurrection, we can fulfill our purpose of knowing and glorifying God (Romans 6:1-6). God takes on the task of transforming us so that we become more like Jesus “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”, (Romans 8:29). So the initial response to the question of what God wants me to do is to accept His Son, Jesus, as Lord and begin the journey of faith.

After we are saved, what God wants us to do is to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”, (2 Peter 3:18). When God adopts us into His family “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”, (Romans 8:15), we begin a new relationship with Him that impacts every aspect of our lives. Instead of making decisions to please ourselves, we make decisions that will please the Lord “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”, (1 Corinthians 10:31). Those decisions will be guided by the Bible, confirmed through godly counsel, and carried out through the power of the Holy Spirit “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”, (Galatians 5:16,25) “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”, (Galatians 5:16,25).

A concise guide to God’s expectations for us can be found in Micah 6:8, which states, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Acting justly entails living with a clear sense of right and wrong, and treating others honestly and fairly. Jesus instructed us not to judge by appearances, but to judge with righteous judgment “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”, (John 7:24). To fulfill God’s will, we must give each person their due, live truthfully, and avoid oppressing or exploiting others. We should treat others as we would like to be treated “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”, (Matthew 7:12).

Loving mercy involves granting another chance to someone who may not deserve it. To align with God’s will, we must emulate Jesus’ mercy; He was always ready to show mercy to those who repented (John 8:10-11;Luke 23:42-43). Like Jesus, we should forgive those who wrong us (Matthew 18:23-35). We should celebrate when others receive mercy, recalling the abundant mercy God has shown us (Luke 6:35-36).

We walk humbly with our God by seeking His blessings and apApproval on our life decisions. God does not simply become a part of our lives; He IS our life “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”, (Galatians 2:20). To fulfill God’s will, we strengthen our faith, progressively surrendering more areas of our lives to His guidance. Daily, we renounce ourselves, carry our crosses, and follow Him “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”, (Luke 9:23). Only by confessing our sins “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”, (1 John 1:9) and keeping our lives free from idolatry, worldliness, and compromise “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”, (1 John 5:21), can we walk humbly with our God.

God desires us to impact our world with His gospel message. Jesus addressed the question of what God wants us to do just before He ascended back into heaven. We refer to His words as the Great Commission: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). We disciple others by investing all that God has bestowed upon us in their lives so that they, too, can fulfill their purpose. When we concentrate

By understanding our identity in Christ and delving into the Scriptures, we will discern God’s will for us.