God’s Will for You

Those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.
–Romans 8:29

The Bible reveals God’s purpose for our lives. Did you know God’s will for your life has already been written in Scripture? It’s found in Romans 8:29: “Those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.”

If you’re a Christian, then God saved you not just so you could escape hell but also so He could mold you to become like Jesus. God wants you to love the things Jesus loved, to think about the things Jesus thought about, and to behave like Jesus behaved. That is God’s will for your life: that you become a perfect image of Jesus Christ in your attitudes, affections, and actions. And right now, God is chiseling away those habits and priorities in your life that are unlike Jesus. Sometimes it’s a painful operation. God’s will isn’t for everything in your life to be easy, but He uses everything in your life–even the hard things–to make you more like His Son. That is God’s general purpose for you.

In addition, God’s Word gives specific guidance for our lives. Let me point out some practical instructions God has already given us in His Word. We don’t have to pray about whether to do these things because God has already spoken about them:

• We’re to marry only another Christian (2 Corinthians 6:14).
• We’re not to divorce and then remarry except in the cases of adultery and desertion (Matthew 19:9; 1 Corinthians 7:10–16).
• We’re to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
• We’re to refrain from critical speech (James 3:5–12).
• We’re to attend church regularly (Hebrews 10:24–25).
• We’re to perform our jobs with enthusiasm and excellence (Colossians 3:23).
• We’re to refrain from grumbling (Philippians 2:14).
• We’re to share the gospel with unbelievers (Matthew 28:19–20).
• We’re to submit to those in authority (Ephesians 5:22–6:9).

You may be struggling with whether you should do this or that when God’s Word has already provided the direction you need. Much of what we need to know can be found in Scripture.

***

Today’s devotion is adapted from “The Bible Tells Me So?” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2008.

Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.