It is so common for Christians to ask this question with reference to finding out “God’s will” for their life. They talk to their pastor, their godly friends, all in the hopes of finding some sort of seemingly elusive peace about what they should do with regards to their career, college choice, or whatever else it may be. Many, such as myself, can remember countless hours spent in prayer, seeking some sort of direction and guidance from God; we looked for this direction to come via impressions in our heart or Scripture. The problem with this mindset, however, is that it is thoroughly unbiblical.

Allow me to clarify what I mean. The desire for a Christian to want to please God by choosing the right career is not unbiblical. It is, in fact, to be applauded and encouraged! The mindset, however, that God has some sort of specific ‘will’ for my life that I have to discover via some sort of experiential process, however, is found absolutely nowhere in Scripture. What is replete in the Word of God, however, are statements such as this:

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.   Psalm 119:1

What is it, according to this verse, that makes a man “undefiled?” What makes him live in a right way before God? Is it finding out “God’s will?” No; it is obeying the Word of God. Christian, put simply, the will of God for your life is for you to obey the Word of God, no more and no less. We choose our career by reading what Scripture says about wisdom and guidance and apply those principles. Maybe the Lord has given you a spiritual gift for teaching; wisdom would tell you to use that gift as a preacher or teacher. This, though, is far different from the anxiety-inducing process of divining the mind of God. Christian, take a rest from the difficulty imposed upon you and rest in the sufficiency of Scripture.