Start Taking Steps to a Life of Freedom

Will each of us be able to say to God, “I used the talents and abilities you gave me to their full potential”?  What is God’s will for your life? It is a question often asked. To be honest, finding God’s will for my life was not easy. It wasn’t that God was keeping it a secret or that I wasn’t willing to follow Him, but rather I just didn’t know how to blend His will into my will and make it work.

Focus on God’s Will

“Full speed ahead” has always been my approach. It is my temperament and training to jump in with everything I have to accomplish a goal. However, I’ve found that with my inner drive and natural gifts, it was easy to leave God out of the picture. I can set any goal and achieve it, but that might not be God’s will.

Before I could focus on God’s will, I first needed to learn to handle myself: His will, my will, and me. The practicality of being goal-oriented, doggedly-determined, and highly-motivated makes for an interesting combination. It definitely has its benefits and drawbacks, and it wasn’t easy for me to turn my will over to God. Mentally and emotionally I could do it, but reality was another matter. About half the time I was seeking God’s will, and the other half I was not.

Assemble the Puzzle

How can you find God’s will for your life? There are seven interrelated parts, like pieces of a puzzle, of will that must be assembled and most people haven’t assembled them.  It isn’t any more complex than that. If you leave out one piece, your puzzle is incomplete.

#1 — Big Plan

You must believe that God has a plan for your life.

#2 — God’s Will

To sincerely desire to do God’s will means that you need to set the goal to include Him in every aspect of your goal-setting process. This requires a heart attitude that says, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

#3 — God’s Word

You need to continuously search God’s Word, the Bible, for direction. You will continually be pointed in the right direction toward Christ.

#4 — Accept Responsibility

Asking God what to do in every little aspect of your life isn’t faith. It is immaturity and evidence that a person would rather be told what to do than accept responsibility.

#5 — Give Up Control

To give up control doesn’t mean submitting to another person and doing exactly what he or she says, nor does it mean that you wait around for God to tell you what to do. Trust that God will communicate through the Holy Spirit that dwells within you

#6 — Even in the Hard Times

Walking with God is a lifelong journey. He is always watching over you and directing your steps, even in the hard times.

#7 — Trust God

The last piece of the puzzle is sometimes the most difficult to apply. It is summed up by this: do we really trust God? Through it all He has shown Himself trustworthy. If we truly want to do His will and are smart enough to realize we can’t do it on our own, then we need to do it His way.

Along Your Life’s Journey

Remember this along your life’s journey: You have a built-in guidance system to get you where you need to go. God is big enough to lead and to fix anything you might break along the way. If you make a mistake, learn from it so you don’t have to do it again.

You must learn to love God and to love yourself. What does it mean to love God? Practically speaking, it means we are to obey Him in every area of our life. What does it mean to love yourself? Loving God and accepting that He loves you is the foundation for loving yourself, for self-confidence and self-esteem. I must believe in myself before I can believe in others. Love for self prepares us for greatness.

Why isn’t the will of God instant, easy, and painless? Our tendency is to think in terms of what we do for God. He equips us with our own free will; His will for your life is only part of the whole picture. So, enjoy the means and the way God speaks to you. The end result will surpass your greatest expectations.

For me, work is as thrilling as it is fulfilling. My work is my ministry. Freedom in life comes when a person’s work and ministry are one in the same. Until we are faithful where God places us, we will not be released to do what we have always dreamed of doing.