What the Bible Says: The Blessing of God’s WillSample

Blessing #2: We can live free from anxiety and guilt about God’s will. 

What could cause more stress, anxiety, and guilt than praying for something that doesn’t even exist? What seems like God’s radio silence is actually His letting you choose.

Let’s say you are looking for a job and suddenly receive three job offers. After thanking God, you might be tempted to ask, “Which one, God, which one? Please, God, tell me which one am I supposed to take!” Instead of thanking God for three possibilities, you may end up resenting God for complicating your life. But if God doesn’t have an individualized will that requires us to choose one particular job, then what happens next? You get to make a decision.

Let’s say you look carefully at the three job opportunities. You practice due diligence and take a closer look at the company cultures. Perhaps you discover that one of the employers may expect you to do some things that seem a little shady. From reading the job descriptions or talking to other employees, you can sense that you will be pressured to lie or distort the truth in this job. Is that God’s will for you? No. So that job’s out. By simply applying what God has already revealed in His Word, you didn’t need a neon sign pointing to the job that reads, “Don’t take this one! It’s a trap!”

So now you are down to two job options. They seem fairly equal on all fronts: pay, commute, advancement opportunities. Both seem to use your gifts and abilities well. Which job should you choose? Whichever one you want.

While there are many personal factors you should consider in the decision, you should not ask, “What on earth is God’s will about this?” Christian friends may ask, “Are you sure this is God’s will for you?” This taps into the fear that motivates much of our fretting over decisions. You can confidently answer, “What I realized is that it’s God’s will for me to make good and wise decisions and that His sovereign will is able to handle what I have decided.”

There are two primary reasons God doesn’t usually answer the prayer, “What’s your will about this decision, Lord?” It’s definitely not because He doesn’t want you to know. God either doesn’t answer that prayer because 1) He has already answered in His Word, or 2) He has given you the choice.

It’s not that God doesn’t care about the decision you make. He cares very much about your decision. I love David’s description in Psalm 31: “For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me . . . and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place” (31:3, 8).

What good news! God has not set your feet in a cramped, little place, like a narrow ledge with a sharp drop-off on either side. God has set your feet in a large, comfortable place. You are not in danger of falling off with God. You’re not in danger of accidentally stepping off the dot and missing God’s best and His blessing for your life.

When we face decisions, we can follow the pattern of Proverbs 3:5–6: trust God, lean on more than just our own understanding, and acknowledge Him as we choose. We’re not expected to live life stuck in a holding pattern until God finally lets us know which choice He secretly wants us to make.