Christians are forever wanting to know what God’s specific will is for their lives. Should I take the new job? Should I marry this person? Which church should I attend? To which school should I send my children? The list goes on.
It’s interesting what Paul says about God’s will in Romans 1:9-10:
“I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.”
Notice that not even the great Apostle Paul, author of the letter to the Romans, knows what God’s specific will is for his life and travel plans. As John Stott says, “Paul’s attitude is that of humility; he does not presume to impose his will on God, nor to know what God’s will is.”
Instead, the Apostle obeys God’s Word as best he can, makes the wisest decisions he can based on the priority of the gospel (cf. v8-17), and trusts that God’s good will, will come to pass.
He says, “If I come to you, it will be God’s will” and “If I don’t come to you, that will also be God’s will.”
Do you want to know what God’s specific will is for a particular situation? Obey the Bible as best you can, keep the gospel of Jesus in the forefront of your mind, make a wise decision, and leave the outcome to God.