Do you worry about discovering God’s will for your life? Are you convinced that there is one right choice when it comes to selecting a spouse, a career, a vocation? If so, you will find this book very reassuring. According to author James MacDonald, God’s will is not about the details of our lives, it’s about who we are. It’s about our sanctification (word for the day): that refining process through which we become more and more like Christ.
God’s sovereign will, his plan for the universe and all of human history, cannot be thwarted. It doesn’t depend upon the choices we make. God’s moral will, or His word, is revealed in the Bible. This is God’s desire for our personal behavior, and is what we should concern ourselves with. If we live according to God’s moral will, we can be assured that the choices we make will be wise ones.
The author does give some guidelines for making God-pleasing decisions such as:
*Will this choice bring glory to God?
*Is this a decision Jesus would make?
*Will I be proud of this decision at the judgement seat of Christ?
*Would I want this done to me?
*Will this choice cause a brother or sister in Christ to struggle spiritually?
*Will this choice bring me under the power of something?
*Can I do this with confidence that it’s right?
*Am I breaking any previous committments?
This book was an easy read, and I certainly agree that any decision we make should be evaluated according to Biblical principles. However, I don’t think we need to totally reject the idea that God speaks to us in other ways at times.
VERDICT: 4 STARS A helpful guide to anyone struggling with an important decision.
For more on God’s will see:
Fanning the Flame #6–Seeking God’s Will
Lutheran Ladies Connection 