How Do You Know What God Wants You to Do?

This past Sunday we ministered again in two services to the youth at Faith Fellowship Church in Wirtz, Virginia.  We spoke in part on discerning God's purpose for your life.  As we have written here before, not only did God create you to have a personal relationship with Him, there is something that God desires to accomplish that made your existence necessary and valuable.  Your purpose caused you to be born.  God has an assignment in mind that made you essential.  No one else can do it just the way you can do it.

But the question remains, how do you know what God wants you to do?  The answer is contained in Philippians 2:13:

[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

This scripture makes clear that God puts the desire in your heart for what He wants you to do.  Yes, it is that simple.  It can be identified through your natural desires and what you sense as your inherent assignment in life.  There is an awesome sense of destiny placed by God deep inside every human being.  There are several questions that you can ask yourself to help discover this purpose:

What is my deepest desire?  What am I truly passionate about?  What ideas are persistent in my heart and thoughts?  What do I constantly imagine myself doing?   What would bring me the greatest fulfillment?  What would I do for no money or other compensation?  What would I rather be doing besides my current job?  What would I do if I knew I could not fail?

Many people on earth are frustrated, depressed, or disillusioned every day because they go to jobs that are not what they were born to do.  Trying to be what you weren’t born to be is likely the most frustrating experience you could have.  When you know you are doing something that you were not born to do, you will feel irritated in your current job.  You will not feel comfortable in it.  You will strive hard like trying to push a large rock up a steep hill.  You will achieve few results, or, even if you are successful, you will lack the deep sense of satisfaction you would receive doing what God intended for you to do.

Just the opposite is true when you find your purpose in life.  If you are doing what God intended for you, you will be highly successful.  You will have fun while doing it, or, if not always fun, you experience a deep sense of satisfaction from it.  The activity will be natural to you because God has equipped you with the gifts, talents, and abilities to do what He has purposed for you.  Note in the verse above that it not only states that God gives you the desire to do His will, but the power.  This is what Paul meant when he said that he could do all things through Christ who strengthened him (Philippians 4:13).

We encourage you today to reflect on what you are doing in life.  If you are not where you should be, make the adjustments to get back on track.  The good news is that “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29).  He will help you because He needs you for a specific assignment.  You are essential to God’s plan.  Only you can do what God has planned to do through you.  You are blessed and highly favored friends!