A Christian Teen Guide

The Will of God

A frequent struggle in this day and age is understanding what God's will and plan is for me.

But, it seems that what we seek is a 'yes' or 'no' answer or something as clear as black and white. We may get frustrated or even upset when we don't hear the answer we desire. We seek God for this answer and too often do we miss Him and profoundly miss His best for us.

And yes, God does want us to obey him. Although, when translating this obey to Hebrew, it turns to hear. It's a hearing that brings a response. What the Lord wants is a relationship. He wants us to hear Him, know Him, and respond.

As we faithfully follow being committed to Christ, God faithfully reveals the specifics of His will as needed.

When it comes to understanding God's will, there are a few things to know.

For one, pursue knowing God.

“When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.’” (Psalm 27:8)

How can you understand what God wants for you when you don't understand God? Reading his scripture, meditating on his word, and talking to him all strengthen your relationship and your knowledge of God.

Just in general, pursuing Him may even be more important than pursuing His will for you. We should never pursue the Lord's will above pursuing Him or we will fall into the faith where we are the source of victory/success, as well as burden.

"In their hearts human plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." (Proverbs 16:9)

Examine your heart. Do you want to know God? Or do you want this easy yes and no answer for life?

Two, trust that God is working and guiding you.

Trying to discover your life purpose can be a stressful, overwhelming thing. It can seem like a confusing and frustrating subject. We want to move forward, but we're not sure how. We want to find our purpose, but we feel like we're aimlessly wandering.

But we can trust God to lead us where he wants us to go.

"He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." (Psalm 23:2-3)

Another thing to remember is that, as we seek to know God’s will for our lives, we cannot separate trusting the Lord for each step. Knowledge will never replace faith.

And three, ask God for his wisdom.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”(James 1:5)

As we seek to line up our lives with God’s design, scripture is already full of foundational truths we can know about living rooted in God’s will.

In the end, when it comes to finding God's will for you, learn more about him, seek his wisdom, and trust that he is sovereign. And sometimes, the answer will be silence or it will be no but, God loves you and only he knows what is best for you.

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Alright, here is my first chapter since the April 2019 update. I started writing this chapter very formally and structured, thinking that a comeback needs to be with a bang. Then I realized, my book isn't a collection of flawlessly written chapters but rather chapters that reflect the raw struggles of being a Christian teenager. I hope you guys liked the chapter. Leave comments for any questions and/or critique! Thank you:)