The Path to God’s Will

The only way to truly understand God’s will for our lives is through prayer, immersion in Scripture, and listening to the Holy Spirit. Any answer we believe we’ve received must align with both the written Word of God and the Spirit’s gentle leading. We should never rush to conclusions; instead, we must consistently seek God in prayer, asking Him to guide us through His Word and Spirit. It’s vital not to deceive ourselves, as doing so could lead to problems, or worse, a life devastated by poor decisions.

If we feel led in a certain direction but cannot find any biblical support for it, we can be confident that it is not from God. The Holy Spirit will never guide us in a way that contradicts God’s Word.

God cares about every aspect of our lives. He will never lead us into a job, relationship, school, or activity that takes up so much of our time and energy that we neglect our relationship with Him. Even if everything seems to be going smoothly, if our plans contradict God’s Word, we are walking in self-deception.

Discerning God’s Will in Today’s World

The world today is vastly different from the 1980’s. Back then, there were no travel sports teams, no tournaments on Sundays, and it was rare for kids to participate in more than one sport per season. I remember, there was a one-sport-per-season rule when I was in high school.

Today, families fill their weekends—often including Sundays—with endless activities and tournaments, neglecting the Sabbath rest that God designed for our renewal and worship. This is understandable, as children on club teams are expected to attend practices and games on every scheduled day. This leaves parents exhausted, wondering how to get off the treadmill of constant activity and find time for rest and family.

This is where the Bible offers direction. Scripture teaches us to be in the world, but not of the world.

In 1 John 2:15-17 (NIV), we read:

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

The Message version puts it this way for easier understanding:

“Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from Him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.”

Sunday is a sacred day meant for worship, fellowship with believers, reading the Word, and doing good for others. It should not be a day for worldly pursuits. When we prioritize personal pleasure or children’s activities over the worship of our Lord, we misplace our values and misunderstand God’s will. Worse than that, we miss out on the blessings God desires to give us.

The Reward of Honoring the Sabbath

In Isaiah 58:13-14, we are shown the rewards of honoring the Sabbath:

“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob. The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The Message Bible paraphrases this for easier understanding:

“If you watch your step on the Sabbath and don’t use my holy day for personal advantage, if you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy, God’s holy day as a celebration, if you honor it by refusing ‘business as usual,’ making money, running here and there—then you’ll be free to enjoy God! Oh, I’ll make you ride high and soar above it all. I’ll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob. Yes! God says so!”

The inheritance of Jacob, as outlined in Deuteronomy 32:9-13, speaks of God’s promise to provide, protect, and lift us up when life brings us down. God’s presence will be with us, sustaining us and leading us through life’s challenges. You cannot fail when you are a Christ follower!

Walking in Obedience to God’s Word

God assumes full responsibility for our needs when we walk in obedience to His Word. If we choose to remove our children from Sunday activities despite the rules, so as to honor the Lord, God will make organizations change their rules if your child was meant to play on that team. He can change rules, open doors, and override societal expectations. But if that opportunity is not part of His plan for our child’s spiritual welfare, the door will remain closed. And in that, we discover His perfect will.

We don’t need to manipulate circumstances to obtain what God has for us. If we force open doors that He has closed, we may suffer consequences later. It’s far better to wait on the Lord, continue seeking Him in prayer, and renew our minds through His Word. When in doubt, do nothing. Wait patiently for His clear direction.

As Romans 12:2 says:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

In James 1:22-25, we’re reminded:

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like…”

1 Peter 4:3-4 says:

“For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.”

In Luke 6:45, Jesus says:

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of”

A life built on obedience to God’s Word is unshakable, even in storms. As Jesus said in Luke 6:47-48, those who hear and do His words are like a house built on a solid foundation. This foundation keeps us secure, no matter what life throws our way.

Shaping Our Lives by God’s Word

It’s not enough to hear Jesus’ words; we must also act on them. A life rooted in God’s Word will stand firm. Our decisions, values, and actions should be guided by His truth. We are called to examine our lives in the light of Scripture—testing our motives, evaluating our choices, and aligning our actions with His will.

Only when we do this will we be like those whose lives are built on the rock—secure, steadfast, and immovable in the storms of life. And this is the makings of a wonderful family life!

Food for Thought

Lisa