By Mark Wilmoth

Would you like to know God’s plan for your life?

About 40 years ago a respected Bible scholar, Knofel Staton, wrote How To Know The Will of God. In his book, Staton taught that God’s will for your life is revealed in Scripture.

Here’s what God wants for you:

First, you are to exercise dominion over the creation. In Genesis 1:28 (NIV), God instructs humanity to “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Thought must be given as to how we use the resources God has provided, and every human should practice responsible environmentalism.

Second, it is God’s will that you be a Christian. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” In Acts 2:38, when the crowd asked what they should do about sin and guilt, “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” “Everyone” includes you; repentance and salvation are God’s desire for every person.

As a Christian, it is God’s will that you live in ways that honor Him. In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-12, the Apostle Paul writes, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God…For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life…Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other…we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders…”

It is God’s will that you help others find salvation. Jesus commands in Matthew 28:18-19, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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…” Believers aren’t meant to travel to Heaven alone, they’re supposed to help others on the journey.

Now within those parameters of God’s revealed will, God gives an amazing gift: Freedom. At first, it might sound attractive for God to tell us the specifics of our lives—where we should live, what we should do for a living, who we should marry and how we should spend our money. If God would answer those questions, life would be so much simpler, right?

Except that we would be bored puppets. And, because we never experienced the freedom and the responsibility of determining our own direction in life, we would be stunted intellectually, emotionally and relationally. If God made those choices for us, it would relieve us of responsibility, but it would also deprive us of the experiences and lessons that lead to personal growth and maturity.

Unfortunately, you might see this happening in the life of a friend or family member, someone in their 30s or 40s or 50s who is still begging money and receiving guidance from their aging parents. Do you ever find yourself wanting to ask, “What will you do when your parents are gone? Who is going to run your life then?” The parents think they’re helping, or perhaps they relish the control that holding the purse strings gives them over the lives of their adult children, but in fact, their actions are cruel. One day their children will be woefully unprepared for life on their own.

God gives His children freedom so that they can grow and mature.

So go ahead and make your choices and live with your mistakes. God will love and forgive and help you always, but He won’t give you easy answers because it’s God’s will for you to grow up!

Mark Wilmoth is with Pinehurst Christian Church in Marietta and can be reached at Minister@PinehurstChristianChurch.org