Finding Your Place In God’s Will
Lord, What Would You Have Me Do? Finding Your Place in God's Will
There is a question so simple, so profound, that it has the power to reorient an entire life. It is not a complicated theological puzzle. It does not require years of seminary training or a shelf full of Christian living books. It is just seven words: Lord, what would you have me do?
That question appears in one of the most dramatic moments in all of Scripture. In Acts chapter 9, a man named Saul is knocked to the ground by a blinding light on the road to Damascus. Trembling and astonished, face in the dirt, this man who had spent his life persecuting Christians suddenly finds himself face to face with the risen Christ. And out of that moment of total surrender come two questions that would define the rest of his life: Who are you, Lord? And then, Lord, what would you have me do?
For the man who would become the Apostle Paul, those were not just questions for that moment on a dusty road. They became the driving force of an entire life of ministry, suffering, and faithfulness. And they are just as relevant for you and me today.
We Have Left the Captain on the Dock
Imagine a rescue boat launching from a pier at full speed, engines roaring, cutting through the waves with impressive precision. The only problem? The captain was left standing on the dock. The ensign at the helm is moving fast, but without the one who knows the mission, the destination, and the dangers ahead, all that speed and energy is ultimately directionless.
That image captures something painfully true about the modern Christian life. We are busy. We are moving. We have schedules and responsibilities and ambitions. But somewhere in the noise of daily life, we have stopped asking the most important question. We have left the Captain out of the equation.
Jeremiah 10:23 puts it plainly, reminding us that it is not within a person to direct their own steps. We were never designed to navigate this life on our own. The good news is that we do not have to.
Guidance Is a Promise, Not a Mystery
One of the most encouraging truths in all of Scripture is that God genuinely wants His children to know His will. He is not playing a cosmic game of hide and seek. He is not dropping vague hints and waiting to see if we can decode them. He wants to lead us.
Psalm 37:23 tells us that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. Isaiah 58:11 promises that the Lord will guide us continually. Proverbs 3:6 assures us that if we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will direct our paths. These are not suggestions or possibilities. They are promises.
Consider this remarkable truth: we have a Father above us who is sovereign over all things, a Savior beside us who is directing our steps, and the Holy Spirit within us impressing our hearts. With all of that working on our behalf, we can and should know the will of God.
Three Things God's Will Is Not
Before we can truly embrace God's will, there are a few common misconceptions worth setting aside.
God's will is not a roadmap. God did not hand Abraham a detailed itinerary when He called him to leave his homeland. He simply said go, and promised to show him the way. The children of Israel in the wilderness were not given a map. They were given a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, and told to follow. God's guidance is relational, not mechanical. It unfolds as we walk with Him, not before we take the first step.
God's will is not a killjoy. There is a persistent fear that surrendering to God's will means surrendering happiness. That if we truly say "whatever you want, Lord," He will send us somewhere difficult and joyless. But think about it this way: if your own child came to you in genuine trust and said, "I believe you love me, and whatever you think is best for me, I will do," would your response be to make their life miserable? Of course not. Neither would a loving God. His will is described throughout Scripture as good, acceptable, and perfect (Romans 12:2). Surrendering to it does not diminish life. It fills it.
God's will is not only for certain people. It is not reserved for pastors, missionaries, or people with extraordinary faith. Whether you are nine years old or ninety-nine, whether you work in a church or behind a desk, whether you have been a Christian for three months or thirty years, God has a specific and meaningful plan for your life.
What It Takes to Find It
So why do so many Christians live without a clear sense of God's direction? Often it comes down to a few simple but searching realities.
First, there must be a willingness. Paul's question was not "Lord, here is what I would like to do; do you approve?" It was an open-handed surrender: What do you want? Many people never find God's will simply because, if they are honest, they do not want to. They want their own will with God's blessing attached.
Second, there must be meekness, a teachable spirit. Psalm 25 says that the meek He will guide in judgment, and the meek He will teach His ways. Pride closes the ears. Humility opens them.
Third, there must be openness, a yielding of the heart to whatever God reveals. Paul, who had spent his life dragging Christians to prison, allowed himself to be led by the hand into the very city he had intended to terrorize. That is a picture of radical surrender.
Are You Listening?
God speaks through His Word, through the counsel of other believers, and through the quiet impressions of the Holy Spirit. John 10 reminds us that His sheep hear His voice and follow Him. The question is not whether He is speaking. The question is whether we are listening.
It is hard to steer a ship that is not moving. And it is hard to find God's will when we are not actively walking in what He has already shown us. The path forward begins with a simple, honest prayer: Lord, what would you have me do?
Ask it today. Mean it. And then watch what He does.
There is a question so simple, so profound, that it has the power to reorient an entire life. It is not a complicated theological puzzle. It does not require years of seminary training or a shelf full of Christian living books. It is just seven words: Lord, what would you have me do?
That question appears in one of the most dramatic moments in all of Scripture. In Acts chapter 9, a man named Saul is knocked to the ground by a blinding light on the road to Damascus. Trembling and astonished, face in the dirt, this man who had spent his life persecuting Christians suddenly finds himself face to face with the risen Christ. And out of that moment of total surrender come two questions that would define the rest of his life: Who are you, Lord? And then, Lord, what would you have me do?
For the man who would become the Apostle Paul, those were not just questions for that moment on a dusty road. They became the driving force of an entire life of ministry, suffering, and faithfulness. And they are just as relevant for you and me today.
We Have Left the Captain on the Dock
Imagine a rescue boat launching from a pier at full speed, engines roaring, cutting through the waves with impressive precision. The only problem? The captain was left standing on the dock. The ensign at the helm is moving fast, but without the one who knows the mission, the destination, and the dangers ahead, all that speed and energy is ultimately directionless.
That image captures something painfully true about the modern Christian life. We are busy. We are moving. We have schedules and responsibilities and ambitions. But somewhere in the noise of daily life, we have stopped asking the most important question. We have left the Captain out of the equation.
Jeremiah 10:23 puts it plainly, reminding us that it is not within a person to direct their own steps. We were never designed to navigate this life on our own. The good news is that we do not have to.
Guidance Is a Promise, Not a Mystery
One of the most encouraging truths in all of Scripture is that God genuinely wants His children to know His will. He is not playing a cosmic game of hide and seek. He is not dropping vague hints and waiting to see if we can decode them. He wants to lead us.
Psalm 37:23 tells us that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. Isaiah 58:11 promises that the Lord will guide us continually. Proverbs 3:6 assures us that if we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will direct our paths. These are not suggestions or possibilities. They are promises.
Consider this remarkable truth: we have a Father above us who is sovereign over all things, a Savior beside us who is directing our steps, and the Holy Spirit within us impressing our hearts. With all of that working on our behalf, we can and should know the will of God.
Three Things God's Will Is Not
Before we can truly embrace God's will, there are a few common misconceptions worth setting aside.
God's will is not a roadmap. God did not hand Abraham a detailed itinerary when He called him to leave his homeland. He simply said go, and promised to show him the way. The children of Israel in the wilderness were not given a map. They were given a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, and told to follow. God's guidance is relational, not mechanical. It unfolds as we walk with Him, not before we take the first step.
God's will is not a killjoy. There is a persistent fear that surrendering to God's will means surrendering happiness. That if we truly say "whatever you want, Lord," He will send us somewhere difficult and joyless. But think about it this way: if your own child came to you in genuine trust and said, "I believe you love me, and whatever you think is best for me, I will do," would your response be to make their life miserable? Of course not. Neither would a loving God. His will is described throughout Scripture as good, acceptable, and perfect (Romans 12:2). Surrendering to it does not diminish life. It fills it.
God's will is not only for certain people. It is not reserved for pastors, missionaries, or people with extraordinary faith. Whether you are nine years old or ninety-nine, whether you work in a church or behind a desk, whether you have been a Christian for three months or thirty years, God has a specific and meaningful plan for your life.
What It Takes to Find It
So why do so many Christians live without a clear sense of God's direction? Often it comes down to a few simple but searching realities.
First, there must be a willingness. Paul's question was not "Lord, here is what I would like to do; do you approve?" It was an open-handed surrender: What do you want? Many people never find God's will simply because, if they are honest, they do not want to. They want their own will with God's blessing attached.
Second, there must be meekness, a teachable spirit. Psalm 25 says that the meek He will guide in judgment, and the meek He will teach His ways. Pride closes the ears. Humility opens them.
Third, there must be openness, a yielding of the heart to whatever God reveals. Paul, who had spent his life dragging Christians to prison, allowed himself to be led by the hand into the very city he had intended to terrorize. That is a picture of radical surrender.
Are You Listening?
God speaks through His Word, through the counsel of other believers, and through the quiet impressions of the Holy Spirit. John 10 reminds us that His sheep hear His voice and follow Him. The question is not whether He is speaking. The question is whether we are listening.
It is hard to steer a ship that is not moving. And it is hard to find God's will when we are not actively walking in what He has already shown us. The path forward begins with a simple, honest prayer: Lord, what would you have me do?
Ask it today. Mean it. And then watch what He does.
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