What does God want me to do with the rest of my life? I have been asked that question scores of times. The question tells me that the person asking has a desire to do God’s will. Therefore, that question is music to my ears. On the other hand, is there a more insightful question to ask?
Connie and I have really enjoyed watching the TV series, The Chosen, a perceptive movie series on Jesus’ life. It is interesting to note that Jesus’ disciples never asked what they were supposed to do the next day or the rest of their lives. Why do you suppose that was the case? Could the reason be a clue as to what God might have for us to do next in our life?
In the simplest form, they did not ask Jesus that question because of their time with Him naturally supplied the answer. They wanted to go with him and do whatever He led them to do. The closer your relationship is with Christ, the less you will feel a need to ask what He wants you to do. Any person who walks in daily fellowship and obedience to Christ will already be in the center of His will. The Holy Spirit’s role is to guide each of us step by step to do God’s will. Walking closely with Him each day guarantees that you will be exactly where He wants you to be. To put it another way, you would have to refuse all the Holy Spirit’s nudging or other forms of guidance to get out of the will of God.
How can we grow to live that close to Christ? You do so by regularly examining what the Bible says with the intention of obeying the truth revealed in that quiet time with Him. By walking in that kind of growing relationship a dependency and sensitivity to Him naturally occurs. It is like a married couple that grows in their mutual love. That loving union produces a sensitivity to what their partner is thinking or wanting to the point they begin to think like each other.
My daughter’s dog we regularly dog-sit, naturally watches my eyes and listens to the tone of my voice to see what I want her to do and vice versa. In that context the Psalmist wrote Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us. Psalm 123:2 (ESV) In another place he wrote I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you. Psalm 32:8-9 (NKJV) God the Spirit longs to gently daily guide us as we seek to know His ways through our study of the Bible. By not spending that quality time with Him in His word, we eliminate 80% of the guidance He wants to give us. God compares the more independent ones to being like horses or mules that must be controlled by painful bits and bridles. The wise person wakes up and exchanges the bit and bridle guidance for the simple glance of His eye .
When Jesus’ disciples desired Jesus enough to leave their businesses or skill sets to follow Him, they began receiving experiential knowledge that He was their source of life. Learn from them. The closer you get in relationship with Christ, the less you will feel a need to ask what He wants you to do with the rest of your life. What might the questions you have been asking reveal about your relationship with God? What guidance has the Bible already given that is your next step to having a closer relationship with the Almighty God? If your current study method is not delivering more experiential knowledge of God, seek out a new way to study it.