One Way to Know God’s Will

In my time as a Christian and as a therapist, I hear from folks who are concerned about knowing the will of God in their lives. Usually, this has to do with big decisions in life that can set the trajectory for many years to come. A soul that is faithful to the Lord will want to have the confidence that they are following God’s plan for them and fear missing a calling they have ignored.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is in Elijah in I Kings 19, God told him to stand on a mountain and he would see Him pass by. How could you pass this up?

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire came a gentle whisper. – I Kings 19:11-12, NIV

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Now, I am sure many folks have heard messages on this passage and I am no expositor of Scripture, but at least part of this message is quite clear. We sometimes expect something loud and obvious from God since He wields such power. But I think that more often than not He speaks to us in that gentle whisper.

Followers of Christ want to know that what they are doing is on the right track. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) comes to mind. The reality is that much of life can be ambiguous. God has given us His Word as a powerful guide for how to live life, how to grow in our faith, what to do, and often what not to do. And yet, there are key decisions in our lives that are left for us to make, and even with guidance from the Word, we can be unsure.

I’ll take a moment to share some of the ways that the concept of “Go until no.” has applied in my life. The first situation that I remember is shortly after I became a Christian at the age of seventeen. This was the time of the “Jesus People” in the early seventies and I knew several folks from that group in Spokane.

They had a coffee house downtown and it was there that I prayed to receive Christ. The group shortly morphed into a cult following their main leader. I grew up in the church and felt that I was to serve within the church and not go with that group. They put a lot of pressure on me to stay with them, but something inside me said, “You are on the right track.” I don’t believe I had heard the phrase “Go until no,” but it applied.

After graduating from high school, I soon found myself going to college. For what goal? I did not know, but, one thing I did know, was that I didn’t want to keep working a graveyard shift any longer. I took the required classes, was mostly interested in history and by my junior year, I felt that being a teacher would be a nice thing since my dad was a teacher and he loved his job.

Throughout college, I worked as a youth leader for the high school group at my church. At that time, I didn’t feel much of a calling to teach and after graduating, the church hired me as a youth pastor. This was great because it was where my heart was. This shift caused me to wonder if I should pursue training as a pastor or missionary.

The church I was at had some real difficulties and it seemed that it was time to begin thinking of being a teacher. I began to do substitute teaching, got two long-term assignments, and loved it. Soon I got a contract, and I was off on my forty-year journey. Looking back, I could see so many pieces of God’s plan for me fit in like pieces in a puzzle.

There were dozens of decisions along the path where I found this principle in effect. After about five years of teaching, I began thinking about leaving my teaching job for something that paid a lot more. I wrestled with this for several months and then all of a sudden, I sensed this message, “you are where you are supposed to be.”

In an instant, I knew that I was to stay teaching. It was my ministry, and I was to do it “as unto the Lord.” In this case, leaving teaching was a big “no.” In all honesty, I believe I was struck with a bad case of envy. There is something in the Word about that.

I never wanted to go into administration; I was set against it, but as I moved in my career, I found myself in various leadership positions. One day my principal said I should think about going into administration. I had been doing some school improvement work and at this point, it didn’t sound all bad.

I took my first course for certification – about a two-year process – and started the “go” process. I kept at it through the classes and internship and got a position a year later. It was the right thing to do at that time. I had many fantastic and challenging experiences as an administrator. That role and service helped me grow in many ways and ultimately led me to work as a therapist.

That was a similar thing. I had tried to be a principal of a high school a couple of times and the door shut on each of those experiences. I was five years away from retirement and sought the Lord for what to do with those retirement years that could be helpful to people at the same time fully enjoy retirement with my wife and family.

I was nudged to consider being a therapist, so I began the work on a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Whitworth University. Through that process, I never got a “no,” so I kept going. I’m so glad I did, and I know it is what God had planned for me – a nice feeling.

There are clear guard rails outlined in Scripture to guide us as we seek the Lord’s will. You might ask (for example), does this situation promote love for people and promote honesty? In other words, can you honor God in this endeavor, or does it compromise your basic values? If it honors God, then you are on the path of “go” and you should keep going until otherwise indicated (for example, a slammed door).

Coinciding with the “go until no” process is the principle of peace. Does this decision bring peace or turmoil? You will know, and you should follow the peace. It is obvious, but I will say it anyway, be sure to pray about it.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Phil. 4:6-7, NASB

Seek Him and talk to him about what’s going on in your heart and look for His voice speaking through His Word, the main vehicle He uses to speak to us.

If you are looking for guidance in your life or are suffering from anxiety, depression, or problems in a key relationship, It would be my honor to be used as a means to help you find greater peace and strength in living this life we have here on earth.