A Short Guide to Understanding God’s Will
If you were to do a quick Google search for “Bible verses about God’s will,” you might be surprised at the results. As you first type those words into the search bar, you may be hopeful—surely the Bible will have a lot of obvious things to say about God’s will. Well, after scanning through a few blog posts and articles, you may find yourself stumped, with a once-hopeful smile quickly turning into a furrowed brow and confused sigh.
That’s how I felt a few years ago. When—thanks to my mentor confirming the Holy Spirit’s rumblings in my heart to pursue ministry—I decided to enroll online at a Bible college, I felt like I finally had some semblance of direction. Heading back to college made me feel like I was finally getting my life back on track. I was finally doing something “serious” with my life.
But even with this newfound sense of direction, there were plenty of question marks. For example, I chose biblical counseling as my major—but truthfully, I wasn’t quite sure where a counseling degree would take me or even why I felt the tug to pursue counseling rather than one of the other options. In my younger years, there was this air of shame associated with counseling and therapy. It felt like a taboo topic because going to counseling made it seem like you were a messed-up person in need of help. And that was just not a good look to the world around you.
(News flash: We’re all messed up people in need of help. We’re all sinners in need of a Savior.)
But after I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, my family and I couldn’t help but notice that the traumatic effects extended to every aspect of my life. That was when my parents and pastor recommended I meet with a counselor. At first, I shut the idea down, insisting that I had it figured out. That I just needed time. But it wasn’t only my body that had been affected—I was feeling emotional, spiritual, and mental fatigue.
When I started my biblical counseling classes, I was reminded of all the beautiful fruit that God brought from my own personal time in biblical counseling, a type of counseling that emphasizes that genuine and lasting change, healing, and hope are found in God’s sufficient Word. Biblical counseling also prioritizes discipleship as an integral part of the Christian life. Because of what God had done in my life through counseling, I was excited to study it in school.
It sounds like the story could pretty much write itself from there—all wrapped up in a nice bow. And Tara went on to study biblical counseling without any further doubts or questions and began a long, successful career in her new calling. The end.
But that’s not how it played out. It’s true—I did feel as if God had opened the door to online Bible school with a bright neon sign that said YES! However, I would be lying if I said I never questioned God or His will along the way.
You see, it doesn’t matter if life is going well or if life is going poorly. Every now and again, we all stop, pause, and wonder, “Am I really supposed to be here? Is this God’s will for my life? Am I making decisions that God would approve of?” That’s where that pesky Google search comes in. I can’t tell you how many times I paused during those first few semesters of biblical counseling school, combing through the internet and the Bible for any hints about God’s will.
Was I on the right track? Was I really doing what God wanted, or was I messing up my life by following my own will? The lines were beginning to blur. Uncertainty was everywhere. After each Google search and scavenger hunt through the Bible, hoping to discover specifics about God’s will for my life, I felt more defeated. Why was God’s will so ridiculously hard to figure out? If it’s so important to our lives, then why didn’t He make it more obvious?
Just in case no one has told you before—it’s okay to admit that you’ve had those same thoughts. Whether suffering has made you question whether you really want to follow God’s will or uncertainty has you feeling as if there’s no hope of even knowing what God’s will is, much less following His will, this chapter is for you. It’s time to grab our shovels and dig deep into what the Bible says about God’s will. It’s time to get our hopes up when it comes to God’s will. It’s not the time to shrink back in fear.
God wants to be known. He wants His will for us to be known. He’s given us His Word to give us insight into His will. And when we understand the beauty of God’s will, we’re able to take another step toward surrender — even in the face of suffering or uncertainty.
Adapted from Surrender Your Story: Ditch the Myth of Control and Discover Freedom in Trusting God by Tara Sun. Copyright © 2022 by Tara Sun. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson.
Through the Truth Talks with Tara podcast, her Instagram community, and other resources, passionately teaches women of all ages how to know, love, and live God’s Word for themselves. She shows how to break down God’s Word into understandable pieces, while also adding an artistic flare through her digital art. Tara is married to her high school sweetheart, Michael, and is a mom to their newest addition, Hunter. You’ll find them living and serving the Lord in Oregon.
Photograph © Joel Muniz, used with permission
