The Bible tells us that God’s will for our lives is that we would be holy: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:3).
There are not many people who want to hear that. It’s much more exciting to claim that God spoke to us in a dream or that we have already been to heaven and back, but these kinds of claims avoid the clear and plain teaching of God’s Word.
We find God’s will by ensuring that our lives fall within the priorities and ethics of Scripture: attending church, loving our neighbors, serving others, and exercising our spiritual gifts for others.
For particular questions, we examine the broad teaching of Scripture, pray, and ask other Christians for godly advice. We pray for doors to open, and recognize closed doors when they shut on us.
We also need to have our specific talents, abilities, and strengths line up with the kind of work for which we are uniquely made. It takes honesty with ourselves and the ability to ask others for help, all the while praying to God for direction in order to discern this.
