What is God’s will anyway?

Mr. Right and I have been praying about God’s will a lot lately. We will be faced with so many big decisions over the next few years, and we want to prove faithful. So how do we know what God’s will really is?

I love looking at Romans 12 through that lens. First of all – what is God’s will?

I know it’s good, pleasing and perfect (Romans 12: 2). So that’s a great start, isn’t it?

He says I can test and approve what God’s will is, if I…

  • Offer my body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God (Romans 12:1).
  • Don’t conform to the pattern of this world (all the stuff that culture/society tells me is important – money/fame/approval/comfort/beauty), but instead am transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2).
How do I renew my mind, leading to a transformed outlook? By filling my mind with scripture – having God’s truth, God’s promises, take the place of all the things TV/magazines/friends/Facebook tell me are important. It’s about quieting the noise around me by reminding myself of God’s promises, through prayer and reading scripture. I’m weak, so I have to do this over and over and over. Otherwise, I get caught up in the whirlwind that is society’s expectations… and broken promises. 
One example – society tells me that in order to be a good woman, I need to be like Martha Stewart – a great homemaker who makes all my meals from scratch and has perfectly organized bathroom cabinets (ha). I need to be like Hilary Clinton – a great working woman with lofty goals. And I need to be like Angelina Jolie and effortlessly raise a brood of children. And throughout it all, I need to stay a size 0, wrinkle-free with a sun-kissed tan, a clean house filled with Pottery Barn furniture and homemade decorations from Pinterest. Throw in a closet full of brand-new clothes in the latest trends – this year nothing but color blocking and neon. And don’t forget the skinny jeans… oh those evil skinny jeans!
Guess what – by those standards, I’m a sub-par woman. Pretty unimpressive. And yet, my God delights in me (Psalm 18:19). That means, I’m DELIGHTFUL. Not because of what society says. Not even because of what my husband says (although he is so dear to me). I’m delightful because the Bible says so. 

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

I have to remind myself of that a lot. Like today, when my pants barely button and my makeup is smeared and I’m wearing a flowy shirt that makes me look pregnant (and is neither color blocked nor neon). I am DELIGHTFUL. 
The more I renew my mind with his truths, the easier it is to know his will. The easier it is to trust that if we make a giant leap, he’ll be there to catch us… because he’s been faithful before. 
And, I can remind myself that God’s will is good, pleasing, and perfect. Not always easy, but good, pleasing, and perfect. 

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