Trusting God in the UnexpectedSýnishorn

Day 2: How Do I Know I Am Making the Right Choice?

The Will of God is a phrase that often gets tossed around among Christians. Sometimes, we’ll say things like, “That wasn’t God’s Will for me,” or “I just want to know what the Will of God is for my life.” While it's admirable that we want to make decisions that align with God’s preference for our lives, these phrases are pretty unhelpful in understanding how God intersects with our lives. We covered it briefly yesterday: God isn't micromanaging your life as if you’re a robot, and He has the controls. Instead, God has given you the gift of choice and wants you to use it to flavor your life.

Here is a tension we must manage when discussing the Will of God. There are some things that God asks us not to do; it’s called sin. Sin does not align with what God wants for us because it ultimately doesn't lead to good things for us or the world. While some things are very clearly outlined as sins in the scriptures, many of the decisions we make in our lives are less clearly defined. As humans, we like to make decisions based on right and wrong, but more often than not, the Will of God has more to do with making wise decisions than making right decisions.

Think about it this way. A great chef always follows food safety while in the kitchen, right? They ensure their hands and tools are clean, disinfect an area after using raw meat, and store perishable goods in the fridge. There are specific guides and guardrails that a good chef follows to make sure the food they serve is safe to eat. At the same time, the chef is following these guides and guardrails. They’re also deciding which foods to cook together, what seasonings they’ll use, and how to plate the meal. Those decisions are more about the chef’s preference for flavor and style than the safety of the food.

In the same way, those of us who follow Jesus have guides and guardrails that lead to good things for us and the world. At the same time, we also get to add flavor to our lives based on our preferences. Some decisions are wrong or right, and for those, God gives us guides and guardrails. But most decisions are wise or unwise, and they have a lot more to do with our preferences aligning with who God created us to be.