How do I know what God wants me to do with my life.

[Joshg21]

Everyone has dreams when they are little, things they aspire to be or do, I had mine too, but ever since I can remember I have been afraid of what God wants me to do, my family business is construction. My father is a general contractor and my mother is an interior designer. Ive often thought about being a realtor, I always liked the thought of remodeling and selling homes. So I started realestate school. But now I'm afraid if it's what God wants me to do. All day I've been terrified that he wants me to be a minister. I've prayed all day, I've read my Bible, read some online forum posts and asked God to help me. But every time I open the Bible to read a verse, I get mixed answers, one points toward God using me through my ambitions and another says to give full surrender to God and let him take control, this terrifies me cause on one hand, I know God wants good things for me "for I know the plans I have for you says the lord" but extremely scared of what that entails. If any of you have gone through something similar, please let me know how it turned out

 

[Curtis]

Everyone has dreams when they are little, things they aspire to be or do, I had mine too, but ever since I can remember I have been afraid of what God wants me to do, my family business is construction. My father is a general contractor and my mother is an interior designer. Ive often thought about being a realtor, I always liked the thought of remodeling and selling homes. So I started realestate school. But now I'm afraid if it's what God wants me to do. All day I've been terrified that he wants me to be a minister. I've prayed all day, I've read my Bible, read some online forum posts and asked God to help me. But every time I open the Bible to read a verse, I get mixed answers, one points toward God using me through my ambitions and another says to give full surrender to God and let him take control, this terrifies me cause on one hand, I know God wants good things for me "for I know the plans I have for you says the lord" but extremely scared of what that entails. If any of you have gone through something similar, please let me know how it turned out

Many many years ago I went to a Church, and they had a class before you could become a member. They passed out a paper with about 10 questions on it. They said to answer the questions between 1 to 100 as to how you feel. In the end, they said to add up all the answers, divides that by a certain number, and then times the results to like 1.25. When you are done look at the "legend" at the bottom and see where you fit within the body of Christ!

I thought to myself, would it not be easier to just ask God what he wants you to do? Have we boiled God down to just a mathematical equation?

I can tell for sure that if you will delight yourself in the Lord he will give you the "desires" of your heart.

Psa 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

This means the Lord will give you his desire for your life, and put them in you so that now your desire and God's desire will be the same!

 

[Joshg21]

Many many years ago I went to a Church, and they had a class before you could become a member. They passed out a paper with about 10 questions on it. They said to answer the questions between 1 to 100 as to how you feel. In the end, they said to add up all the answers, divides that by a certain number, and then times the results to like 1.25. When you are done look at the "legend" at the bottom and see where you fit within the body of Christ!

I thought to myself, would it not be easier to just ask God what he wants you to do? Have we boiled God down to just a mathematical equation?

I can tell for sure that if you will delight yourself in the Lord he will give you the "desires" of your heart. (Ps 137:4)

Psa 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

This means the Lord will give you his desire for your life, and put them in you so that now your desire and God's desire will be the same!

As I was praying earlier I was very stressed and asked God for an answer, then I read a random verse and it said,
Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Psalm 30:5

 

[Joshg21]

So maybe im going to get my answer in the morning????

 

[Curtis]

As I was praying earlier I was very stressed and asked God for an answer, then I read a random verse and it said,
Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Psalm 30:5

It was a common practice way back when someone was looking for answers from God that they would just randomly open the Bible and read whatever they saw. This is not a good thing to do. The Lord speaks to those to whom he has their attention.

Jer 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

The "words" in the Bible are not Jesus as Jesus is the "Word" of God singular, not words plural. The words in the Bible are for instruction in righteousness......

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

When Jesus (the Word of God) speaks to you he will speak directly to your spirit, and the "words" he speaks are the words of God. One of the Holy Spirit's job is to bring to your remembrance what Jesus has spoken to you in the past.

 

[Joshg21]

It was a common practice way back when someone was looking for answers from God that they would just randomly open the Bible and read whatever they saw. This is not a good thing to do. The Lord speaks to those to whom he has their attention.

Jer 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

The "words" in the Bible are not Jesus as Jesus is the "Word" of God singular, not words plural. The words in the Bible are for instruction in righteousness......

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

When Jesus (the Word of God) speaks to you he will speak directly to your spirit, and the "words" he speaks are the words of God. One of the Holy Spirit's job is to bring to your remembrance what Jesus has spoken to you in the past.

I will continue to pray and ask God for his will, hopefully I can stop stressing about this soon

 

[Rockerduck]

Hi Joshg21.

If you start your path toward real estate, the Lord will direct your steps to His will.

Romans 12:2 - And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Proverbs 16:9 - A man's heart devises his way: but the Lord directs his steps.

 

[Hekuran]

Maybe the answer will suddenly come to you in a flash of direct inspiration, God's spirit speaking with unmistakable clarity and authority. It happens, but not very often.

In Bible times, there wasn't much stress about choosing a career: If your father was a builder, chances are that you'd take on the family trade. In new Testament times, many in the church were slaves of one kind or another. Not many option there either.

Part of God's teaching us to mature is by leaving room for us to apply prayerful wisdom and discernment to make the best decisions. We might prefer to be able to pick a simple and direct answer direct from the Bible and to put it into practise -- it would certainly be easier, but it's apparently not the way God prefers to work.

The Romans 12 passage quoted above is absolutely right. Let God transform you from within, and allow him to shape your decisions. In my experience it's unlikely to be totally clear cut exaclty what to do.

 

[Curtis]

I will continue to pray and ask God for his will, hopefully I can stop stressing about this soon

The reason a person would stress out about doing the will of God is that they know they can not do it!
The Lord does not tell people what they can do, but what he knows they can not do! All he needs is a person who is willing to be "used" by God to accomplish His will on the earth.

Notice what Jesus Christ said about himself.

Joh 5:30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

How could be true?

Joh 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Jesus the Son of God said that he himself could do nothing by himself and that it was his father dwelling in him that was doing the works!

As a Christain, it is Jesus himself who is the new life in us that does the works through us!

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

You can do all things because it is Christ in you who is doing the all things!

Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

God is the who is causing you to will, and it is God in you who does his work through you according to his good pleasure.

Knowing this changes everything about doing the will of God when you know and understand who the one is that does God's will. Our abilities do not come from us it comes from God.

1Pe 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

 

[Curtis]

Eze 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Eze 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Nobody is in more wonder, and amazement than the person God is "using" for His Glory!

 

[HisBeloved]

I think sometimes we tend to over complicate when it comes to knowing His will when it comes to making decisions. I certainly do!
I've sometimes wondered whether Paul struggled in knowing if he should make tents or if he just did what he knew how to do?
Gideon put out a fleece--twice (just in case the first result was 'coincidental'?).
We truly do see 'through a glass darkly'. Sometimes we just have to use the tools we've been given and trust God to make it clear if we're going in the wrong direction.
I know that I'm doing His will if I'm seeking Him. And I know I'm doing His will if I have a grateful heart. Beyond that, I pray and take a step. And then another. And listen for either 'Turn around!' or 'Well done'. I have even 'put out a fleece' once or twice.
If we're walking by His side, we're in His will. He won't turn His back on us if we make a mistake or if we fail in something we try.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:6
And again, Romans 12:2. Such a great passage!