Are You in the Will of God?

In his book, New Seeds of Contemplation, Thomas Merton tells us that the simplest idea of freedom we can experience happens when we have the ability to do the will of God. He fleshes this out more in the book, but this simple definition stuck with me. How do I know God’s will for me? How can I make myself both desire to do the will of God and actually do it?

Merriam-Webster defines obedience as being submissive to the restraint or command of authority. If God is the authority in the definition, then being in his will sounds an awful lot like being obedient to him. We find much truth and encouragement on being obedient in Scripture. In John 13:34, Jesus says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” This is just one example of a command from God, through Jesus, that provides us with a pathway toward obedience. Jesus’ own teaching and stories show us how to actually love people well. Paul and others write more that give us windows into God’s heart for us and how obedience can look in our lives.

Sometimes it isn’t easy to follow this command from Jesus. It isn’t easy to know if we are being loving. Relationships can be murky waters, and we must wade in slowly, or even wade out slowly. Our actions should point others to Christ, and if they don’t, maybe we have to stop doing things that enable our loved ones to sin. We might even be called to be the light in a dark place, situation, or relationship.

This brings me to an idea that I have been dwelling on a lot: Being in the will of God will not always feel good. We can have peace and joy in our hearts and hope for the future because of Christ Jesus, but the life we are living might still include strife or hardship. God might be calling us to keep stepping forward into places, situations, or relationships that, with or without his presence, cause us to feel fear, stress, or anxiety.

I once heard Jill Briscoe talk about God telling her to “Do it Afraid.” I went away from that talk thinking it was good advice. Could it be that sometimes, the will of God for us is to walk forward afraid, trusting him to fill in all the gaps, to cover over all our weakness? Could it be that when we trust God to be more powerful than our fear, we will see his glory and remember that, even though we might be out of our comfort zone, being obedient and, therefore, in the will of God really does give us peace and hope?

I’ve been watching a friend walk through an incredibly trying time in her life, a time wherein being in the will of God continually does not feel good. Her situation has dragged on and on, even though she would like it to end. She faithfully asks God to be in the middle of it with her, asks the Holy Spirit to guide every step and decision. She says she feels the power and presence of God both in the circumstances and within her heart, evidenced by the peace she feels and the courage she has found to keep moving forward and even to step out of her comfort zone in order to change things for the better. She continues to do it afraid.

My friend doesn’t know what will happen yet. Maybe she will never know. I think sometimes we question whether or not we are being obedient in the midst of our situations, especially when we don’t feel happy or sure about what God is asking us to do. I suppose the truth is that sometimes we cannot be sure of our obedience or disobedience. Not everything is black and white. Occasionally we live in the gray.

I remember a time when I did not know if I was making the right decision. The situation was fraught with emotion, and there were people I didn’t want to disappoint, but you usually can’t please everyone. In this case, I certainly did not. Back then, I am not sure how concerned I was about being in the will of God, but I only felt peace in my heart with the decision I made. None of the other options felt right. So I moved forward into that peace.

Fast forward five years. Either I was in God’s will, or he worked all things out for the good of those who love him, as Romans 8:28 tells us he does. He will get the job done, even if we are disobedient or we are too afraid to walk with the Holy Spirit into the challenge presented to us. Freedom and peace come to us, though, when our hearts are open to allowing ourselves to be in the will of God, no matter what.

What is God asking you to do today to be in his will? Do it afraid if you have to!

Carla Clemens enjoys a crazy, beautiful life with her military husband, four sons, and a daughter. A baby interrupts her homeschool days in the best ways, and she is always attempting to live with mindfulness of each moment. She hopes to look at the world and each person in it in light of our amazing Creator, and therefore, to see each moment presented as an opportunity to love and serve him more. Carla relishes time to ponder God’s Word and have quiet moments with him and her coffee. She loves doing life with other mamas and encouraging them to simply be who God has made them to be.