Why 1 Peter 4:2 shouldn’t freak us out, and how knowing God’s will is a lot easier than we make it out to be.

“…live the remaining time in the flesh no longer for human desires, but for God’s will.” – 1 Peter 4:2

That’s a bold and clear statement from the Apostle. Unfortunately, “God’s will” inspires much apparent confusion and hesitation amongst Christians today. Kevin DeYoung calls attention to this fact in his excellent book, Just Do Something, when he quotes the following from larknews.com (a Christian satire site, now defunct): 

Man, 91, Dies Waiting For the Will of God

Tupelo, Miss. – “Walter Houston, described by family members as a devoted Christian, died Monday after waiting 70 years for God to give him clear direction about what to do with his life. “He hung around the house and prayed a lot, but just never got that confirmation,” his wife Ruby said. “Sometimes he thought he heard God’s voice, but then he wouldn’t be sure, and he’d start the process all over again.” Houston, she says, never really figured out what his life was about, but felt content to pray continuously about what he might do for the Lord. Whenever he was about to take action, he would pull back “because he didn’t want to disappoint God or go against him in any way,” Ruby says. “He was very sensitive to always remain in God’s will. That was primary to him.” Friends say they liked Walter though he seemed not to capitalize on his talents. “Walter had a number of skills he never got around to using,” says longtime friend Timothy Burns. “He worked very well with wood and had a storyteller side to him, too. I always told him, ‘Take a risk. Try something new if you’re not happy,’ but he was too afraid of letting the Lord down.” To his credit, Houston, who worked mostly as a handyman, was able to pay off the mortgage on his modest home.”

That story resonates with me. It’s probably because my life could have easily been the same as the fictional Walter Houston. In my case, however, life’s track was rerouted by the wonderful woman God gave me as wife who, as I was dithering about what to do, took my face in her hands and said, “I don’t care what you do, just do something.” (Yes, I laughed when DeYoung’s book came out later: I’m still convinced he stole the title from her, somehow). 

The humor of satire comes from the sting of its truth. I’m not sure I can put my finger on the universal reasons why many Christians view figuring out God’s will as tricky, but I can tell you in my case that I didn’t fear making the wrong move; I was afraid of making any move and failing. Saying I wanted to “discern God’s direction” freed me from taking any responsibility for my life. Could it be that I’m not alone, that others would have the same fear of definitive action? 

For whatever reason, many Christians struggle to act on their faith, and some say it’s because they are still trying to figure out what God wants them to do. 

The strange part of all this handwringing about finding God’s will is that He has never hidden it from us. The Bible is chockful of references to what the Lord “wills,” and that’s even before we add in synonyms like “desires,” “wants,” “commands,” “asks,” “loves,” “seeks,” and more. Consider the following verses: 

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8

“For this is the will of my Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:40

“For this is God’s will, your sanctification…” 1 Thessalonians 4:3

“God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:3-4

“The Lord…is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

Those are the tiniest sampling of verses revealing God’s will to us. If I could condense them all, I would say that what God wants us to do with our lives is to join Him in restoring human relationships, with Him and with one another. It’s simple, and you don’t need to pray about it. 

“Hold on,” you say. “Don’t I need to discover whether or not I’m called to ministry?” 

No. If you’re a Christ-follower, you’re called to ministry. Ministry is not an optional occupation for super-Christians; it’s the expectation for every Christian. Doing God’s will is for everyone. 

That said, the actual work of restoring relationships will look different in different people’s lives. We are all gifted differently, wired differently, and will have different opportunities. It’s tempting to measure our lives against others. Don’t fall into that trap. We all have the same purpose in Christ, but how it plays out in our lives will be unique. 

Work in the factory. Love the 12 kids God gives you. Share garden produce with your neighbors. Go on a mission trip. Teach Sunday School. Sell everything and move to Africa. Surrender to preach. Rock some babies. Sweep the floors. Stack the chairs. Bake the bread. Write some books. Host some dinners. 

Augustine is frequently misquoted as saying, “love God, and do what you want.” While I do not favor misquoting historical personages, I appreciate the sentiment expressed in this misquote. Instead of debating, discussing, discerning, and dithering, love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and do something. When you love God with everything you are, you will naturally want others to discover the surpassing joy of knowing Him. Everything you do will be tinged with the light of grace and purpose as you seek to connect others to the source of life and goodness. 

Do you love God? Live in such a way that, no matter what you are doing, it points others to their Heavenly Father, who loves them and offers restoration. That’s His will. That’s all He is asking you to do.