What if you are busy living, but not living according to God’s will?
Many believers desire God’s plan for their lives, but few stop to ask what His will actually looks like.
Before we ask, “Lord, what is Your will for my life?”, perhaps we should first ask, “Lord, do I truly know You?”
The Nature of God and His will
Before asking, “What is the will of God for my life?”, we must first ask ourselves this question: “Do I know God?”
To understand His will, we must first know the One whose will we seek. Before seeking His direction, we must first seek to know His nature.
An ignorant believer can remain a defeated believer.
Apostle Joshua Selman often emphasizes the importance of knowing God because ignorance can keep a believer from understanding the realities of the Kingdom.
Without the knowledge of God, a believer may have access to what God has made available, yet fail to experience and walk in those realities.
Before we can understand God’s will, we must first understand His nature. Through fellowship, His Word, and prayer, we begin to understand who God is, how He works, and what He desires for our lives.
The three Hebrew men Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego understood the nature of their God. When they faced the fiery furnace, they knew that their God was able to deliver them.
Yet, their confidence did not depend on the outcome. They declared that even if God did not deliver them, they would still not bow to the king’s image (Daniel 3:16–18).
They knew His nature. They trusted His character. They were willing to stand with Him, even when they could not predict the outcome.
This reveals something important about the will of God: God’s will for His children is not abandonment in difficult seasons.
Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you; when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned.”
God does not promise that we will never enter the fire. He promises that He will be with us in the fire.
Therefore, knowing God’s nature helps us understand His will. He is a Father who desires fellowship with His children, guides them, strengthens them, and remains with them through every season.
Know God, and you will begin to understand the heart behind His will.
Understanding God's Purpose for Believers
There is a saying, “When the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable.” In Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”
Man was created for fellowship with God for communion, and a Father-and-son relationship with Him. But this fellowship was broken when man fell in the Garden of Eden.
The relationship was disrupted, and the intimacy was lost. But Christ came to restore what was broken.
Through His death, the veil was torn. The barrier between God and man was removed, and access to the Father was restored.
This reveals another dimension of God’s will: God’s will is that we know Him, fellowship with Him, and live in relationship with Him.
As believers, we also have a general purpose: to make Christ known. Jesus commanded His disciples to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
But this does not mean everyone must stand behind a pulpit. Not everyone will become a pastor, and not everyone will become an evangelist.
Wherever we find ourselves, our lives should reveal Christ whether in fashion, education, business, the workplace, or any other legitimate sphere of influence.
We may have different professions, assignments, and spheres of influence, but we have a common responsibility: to make Christ known.
Beyond this general purpose, God also gives individuals specific assignments. Joseph had an assignment, Isaiah had an assignment, and John the Baptist had an assignment.
Their assignments were different, but each was connected to God’s purpose. John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for Christ, while Joseph was positioned to preserve lives during a great famine.
This shows us that God’s will is not only about what He wants every believer to do; it also includes the specific purpose He has designed for each person.
Knowing God’s purpose helps us understand what He wants to accomplish through our lives.
Walking in the will of God
Jesus understood His purpose and connected it directly to the will of the Father. He said, “I have come to do Your will, O God” (Hebrews 10:7).
His assignment was to die, redeem humanity, and restore the relationship between God and man. Fulfilling that purpose was also fulfilling the will of the Father.
Even when He came to the cross, when the agony became overwhelming, He still surrendered. He prayed, “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).
It was not easy, but Jesus knew why He came. He knew the assignment, and He understood that His purpose was connected to the Father’s will.
This teaches us that God’s will is not merely something we discover; it is something we must be willing to obey.
Sometimes, God’s will will lead us through uncomfortable places. Sometimes, it will require patience, sacrifice, and a willingness to trust Him.
Joseph’s journey demonstrates this. The pit was part of the journey, the prison was part of the journey, and the palace was part of the journey.
What looked like a delay was still moving him toward God’s purpose. We may not understand every season, but we can trust the God who is leading us.
Purpose and God’s will go together. When we discover what God has called us to do and faithfully walk in it, we are walking in His will.
Understanding God's Direction For Our Lives
After discovering the purpose of God for our lives, we need His direction to fulfill it. Knowing where God is taking us is not enough; we must also know how He wants us to get there.
God does not give an assignment without making provision for its fulfillment. When He sends a person, His grace, wisdom, and presence are available for the journey.
This is why Moses said to God, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here” (Exodus 33:15).
Moses understood that the assignment could not be fulfilled by human strength alone. He needed the presence of the One who gave the instruction.
This is also God’s will for the believer. He does not expect us to discover our purpose and then figure everything out by ourselves.
The God who gives the assignment also provides direction for the assignment. He leads us step by step, teaching us when to move, where to go, and what to do.
The Bible says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
The Word does not only tell us about God; it helps us walk with Him. It gives us principles that help us recognize His ways and remain aligned with His will.
Apostle Joshua Selman teaches that there is a way God works and a way God does not work. There is a way God lifts, a way He helps, and a way He leads.
When we understand God’s character and principles, we can recognize when something does not align with Him. The more we know His ways, the easier it becomes to discern His direction.
God is also a God of process. He can give speed, but He does not bypass the process required to prepare us for what He has ordained.
David was anointed to be king, but he did not immediately sit on the throne. He passed through the wilderness, served faithfully, and learned how to protect the sheep entrusted to him.
The wilderness was not outside God’s plan. It was part of God’s preparation for the purpose He had given him.
This is why we must not despise small beginnings. Sometimes, the small assignment we are handling today is preparing us for the greater responsibility God has planned for tomorrow.
Jesus illustrated this through the parable of the talents. The servants received different amounts, “according to his several ability” (Matthew 25:15).
God watches how we handle what He has already placed in our hands. Faithfulness in little things can become preparation for greater things.
Therefore, knowing God’s will is not simply about discovering our destination. It is also about learning to follow His direction along the way.
We may know that God has called us somewhere, but we still need His wisdom to know the next step.
This is where fellowship becomes important. In fellowship, we learn to recognize His voice, understand His ways, and submit our plans to His will.
Sometimes, the direction God gives may not make sense immediately. Sometimes, it may require patience, sacrifice, or taking a path we would not have chosen for ourselves.
But when we know His nature, we can trust His direction.
God does not promise that every part of the journey will be easy. He promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
This is the confidence of the believer: the God who called us is also the God who will lead us.
He will not send us without what is necessary to fulfill the assignment He has given us.
Know God. Discover His purpose. Follow His direction. Fulfill His will.
When we walk this way, we are no longer merely living life as it comes. We are intentionally walking according to the will of the God who created us and called us.
That is how a believer can live a fulfilled life not according to personal ambition or the standards of the world, but according to the will and purpose of God.