Christians spend considerable time and energy searching for “God’s Will” in life. More often than not, what we mean when we say things like “I’m seeking God’s Will for my life” is that we have some (seemingly) significant decision to make and we’re hoping God will show us THE choice to make. I’m not saying that God is not concerned with the details of our lives, I certainly think that He is, but I think we’ve missed the point of “God’s will for our lives.”

When Scripture speaks of “God’s will” for our lives, it uses much more “big picture-focused” imagery than we’re comfortable with. We want to know which pair of shoes will keep us “in step” with God and which college or what job He would have us to pursue. In a sense, focusing on the details the way we do, we actually lose sight of Scripture’s perception of God’s will. Do you want to know God’s will for your life? Paul lifts the veil and tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances. That’s “God’s will” for your life. But, you say, that doesn’t help me decide what college to go to or what job to take? Doesn’t it? When we come to the point (or are consciously striving after it) when these three things become true in our lives, the previously overwhelming decisions are suddenly put into perspective.

To a large degree, it seems that what we’ve done is turned every decision into a “right and wrong” decision. In other words, one choice will clearly honor God and lead to blessing (while we may not consciously say this, our actions betray that we believe it) and the other to ruin and sin. But that’s not always the case. What we so often miss is that when the “big picture” of God’s will is being lived out, then many decisions are left up to personal preference.

Jay Adams in his book More Than Redemption: A Theology of Christian Counseling argues that:

In life’s decisions, God doesn’t always bring us into places where all choices are between right and wrong. In His greatness, His children often find themselves in the enviable position of choosing between two or more rights!

Speaking deeper still, our approach to seeking God’s will is extremely man-centered, while Scripture’s view is understandably God-centered. Ultimately, we tend to ask what’s best for us, while Scripture commands that we “rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances;” things are not possible aside from God’s hand in our lives.

Adams gives the example of “Herb” who has come for counseling regarding which woman he should marry. Now, I don’t know how this happens, but Herb ends up with three women to choose from. Herb is instructed to sit down and draw a box, which represents basic Scriptural principles.

After Scripturally discerning that Herb is not called to celibacy, it is acertained that as a believer, he must not marry a non-believer (2 Corinthians 6:14-18, etc.). Therefore, one of the women, Suzy, getx an “x” outside of the box because she is not a believer. Both Jane and Betty are “vivacious Christians, deeply involved in Christ’s work.” Then, Herb is free to choose based on preference.

We make discerning “God’s will” more difficult than it is because we look for answers Scripture never promises. Once the “big picture” is in place and we are, to the utmost of our God-given strength, doing everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31), then we must sometimes simply choose.

Pastor John Skaggs once explained it to me this way: he said that “once we know we are within Scriptural bounds, then we must choose and it will either be a comfortable or an uncomfortable blessing!” In other words, we must first come to the point where we are able to see even God’s discipline as a blessing.

I challenge you to seek God’s will for your life and while you are struggling to “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances,” feel free to wear what shoes you want, knowing that you are pursuing God’s will for your life as He intended.

• Read More Than Redemption: A Theology of Christian Counseling by Jay Adams.