Every day of our lives is to be lived for God’s purpose, according to His plan, and in obedience to His desires. But how can we be certain we are walking in His will, especially in times of difficulty, suffering, or pain?

Each day is filled with decisions, and every choice is an opportunity to ask the Lord what He would have us do. In this message, Dr. Stanley shares principles from Scripture to help us evaluate our circumstances and decisions through the lens of God’s will.

God assures us that whatever we experience, even our difficulties, can be redeemed for our ultimate good. We can know His will even in times of heartache and hardship, and we can thank Him for His empowering presence and unwavering love.

Dr. Charles Stanley: If
somebody should ask you the

question what do you Christians
mean by the will of God, what

would you say?

How would you answer that
question?

They deserve an answer.

Would you say the will of God
refers to the purpose of God,

the plan of God, the desire of
the heart of God?

If you did, that’s right.

God has a plan and a purpose and
a desire for all of us.

And oftentimes people never
think about the fact that God

has a personal interest in them.

They think God is just thinking
of this–worldwide kind of

things.

He–the Bible says once you
trust Jesus as your Savior, your

name is written in the Lamb’s
Book of Life.

So, when you think about your
relationship to God–and we talk

about the will of God, we’re
talking about His purpose, His

plan, His desire for your life.

That is, God didn’t ignore you
when you were born.

His purpose, His plan, His
desire for your life.

And I wonder when is the last
time you ever stopped to think,

now Lord, where am I in Your
plan?

Where am I in Your purpose?

Where am I in Your will for my
life?

And I want us to think about in
this message is can we be sure?

Can we be sure of God’s will and
purpose and plan for our life?

And when I think about that, I
think about what He says in the

fortieth Psalm in the eighth
verse, “I delight to do Your

will, O my God, Your Law is
written in my heart.”

And I think about the people who
sit in church week after week,

go to all kind of churches,
never think about the fact of

what’s God’s plan?

Not just what’s–what am I to do
today?

What’s–what does God want me to
do in this particular situation?

But what’s His plan, what’s His
purpose, what’s He trying to

accomplish in my life?

Did God just put you here just
to exist for a while and then

call you home?

No.

He has a purpose, a plan, and a
will for your life.

The question is: Can we be sure?

And the answer is certainly we
can.

And when I think about that, I
think about the people who go

through difficulty, hardship,
suffering, pain, all kinds of

things and they have a right to
ask, “Well, God, if You have a

will for my life, how does all
this fit into Your will?”

Well, when you and I are walking
in the will of God, whatever He

allows is for our good.

That’s hard to take sometimes,
but it is true.

And so, when we talk about the
whole question of can we be

sure?

Yes, we can be sure.

So, I want to talk about several
categories of God’s will.

Now, we’ve talked about this
before.

So, here are the categories
about God’s will.

The first one is this.

The predestined will of God is
His sovereign control.

This is what He’s going to do,
what He’s going to accomplish,

and nobody can stop it, His
sovereign will, His predestined

will.

His moral will for our life.

That is, how He intends for us
to live.

The Ten Commandments would be a
good example of that, and they

apply to everybody.

Then His desired will, that is
what does God desire for us in

the Christian life?

What does He desire for us from
the very beginning?

And then His circumstantial
will, that is, what’s His will

for our life when we mess it up?

We want to live a godly life,
then we must know how to respond

to the circumstances of our
life.

And so, then, the last question
is: What’s His immediate will?

That is, what is His will today
in your life?

So, there are all different
sections of thought about the

will of God.

And all of them are important,
and all of them apply to all of

us.

So, ask yourself the question:
What–about His predestined

will, His moral will, His
desired will, His circumstantial

will, it’s what we have to deal
with every day.

What’s Your will for my life
today, Lord, in this situation?

When you get to work tomorrow,
you may have to make a

decision.

We’re always making decisions,
but the question is this.

As a follower of Jesus, am I
asking the right question, and

that is, Lord, what’s Your will
in this particular situation?

Not what he thinks, she thinks,
they think, what could happen?

But what’s Your will?

So, when you look at it, you are
faced with a decision about your

job, whatever it might be, you
have to make a decision about

it.

You have to make a decision
about your morals.

You go to work tomorrow and
somebody passes something to

you, and you have to make a
decision whether you’re going to

turn it down, whether you’re
going to ignore it, or whether

you’re going to accept it.

You have to make a decision, for
example, of how you relate to

money.

What happened yesterday or
tomorrow?

In other words, every aspect of
our life is going to be

scrutinized by the will of God.

Because remember this, He’s
already chosen the best route.

You say, “Well, but I didn’t
become a Christian till I was

forty.”

That’s okay.

But the next forty or fifty or
sixty, what about His will for

that?

And remember this: that God
knowing us perfectly knows how

we came into the world, what our
advantages were, what our

disadvantages were, what our
opportunities were, what our

parents knew, how they knew to
raise us or not raise us, all of

that is a part of God’s wisdom
and knowledge and His grace and

goodness and mercy in working in
our hearts throughout our life.

But what is the will of God for
our life today, His purpose and

plan.

So, I want to give you a number
of statements that’ll help you

confirm in your own mind and
heart this is or this is not the

will of God.

So, a test to confirm God’s
will.

Here’s the first question.

Is this decision consistent with
or in agreement with the Word of

God?

Is this decision you’re making,
is it in agreement with the Word

of God?

And you and I can think of a lot
of things that are not in

agreement with the Word of God
that people practice.

This is a part of confirming His
will for your life.

And then, is it a wise decision?

And you say, “Well, how can I
tell whether it’s a wise

decision or not?”

Here’s how you tell.

Listen carefully.

You ask yourself the question:
What are the consequences?

If I do thus and so, what will
the consequences be?

Not what I’d like for them to
be, what will they be?

There are always consequences to
our decisions, whether we plan

it or not, whether we like it or
not, there are consequences that

are unavoidable.

And this is why we should teach
our children and grandchildren,

early in life, that there are
consequences to your decisions.

You can’t make decisions without
some consequence.

It may be a good consequence,
certainly we’d hope so.

Maybe not.

But it depends upon your motive,
depends upon your relationship

to God.

Because, watch this, think about
this.

You’re living out the will of
God, or out of the will of God

every moment of your life you’re
awake.

You could lie in the bed on
Sunday morning and not come to

church.

What’s the will of God?

His will is that you be
somewhere worshipping Him.

And so, we’re either in His will
or out of His will.

So, what are the circumstances?

Things that we need to consider
in our life because your life is

affecting somebody else’s life.

No one in here is living in a
capsule.

You are affecting in some degree
to, in some way, somebody

else’s life.

They watch you.
They hear you.

They watch how you dress.

They see how you act, how you
respond.

The will of God, His purpose and
plan and desire for your life,

we won’t live it out perfectly,
but He has a will that’s for our

benefit as well as for the
kingdom of God.

So, is it a wise decision?

What are the consequences?

Then number three, can I
honestly ask God to enable me to

achieve whatever I’m going
through or this decision?

Can I honestly ask Him to help
me to achieve it?

So, think about the last big
decision in your life.

Did you ask God about that
decision?

You say, “What do you mean big?”

Well, you know what a very
serious decision is.

Did you ask Him about it?

Or, did you say, “Well, I’m
going to toss a coin”?

How foolish.

Or did you say, “Well, I’ve got
three choices, I’m going to just

think about them and make a
choice.

I’m mature enough to make
choices for my life.”

We’re all mature or maturing to
a point.

There are some decisions none of
us, not a one of us is adequate

to make wisely without God’s
direction and help for the

simple reason we live in a world
that’s opposed to God, that’s

opposed to righteousness, that’s
opposed to godly decisions.

And so, one thing you have to
remember: decisions we make will

affect us no matter what we
think.

Somebody says, “Well, you know,
that just happened once.”

Yes, that’s right.

Sometimes things happen once,
but have a lifetime of

consequences.

So, the question is: Can I
honestly ask God to enable me to

do this?

And somebody says, “Well, I
prayed about it.”

Well, how long did you pray?

“Well, I just asked Him if that
would be okay if I bought this

or did this or the other.”

That’s not really asking God.

You make up your mind and then
ask Him to sort of approve of

what you’ve done or said.

Listen, the will of God has
continuing consequences and some

decisions through the rest of
your life till the day you die.

That’s why the Christian life is
not a ho-hum kind of life.

It is a serious relationship to
God because it affects your

life, your purpose, your plans,
and His desire for your life.

All of these questions are very
important.

Then of course, do I have
genuine peace?

Do I have genuine peace about
this decision I’m facing?

And one of those questions that
comes along with that is this.

Is this the right timing?

Watch this carefully, it may be
the will of God that you do or

whatever that may be, but is it
the right timing?

And people make serious
decisions that cost, very costly

decisions because they stepped
ahead of God or were too late.

So, you have to ask yourself the
question: Do I have peace about

this?

Or do you say, “Well, you know,
I’m going to go ahead and make

this decision.

God understands.”

Let me tell you something.

He sure does understand.

He understands when I’m selfish.

He understands when I’m just
making the decision and saying,

“Yeah, well, it’s going to be
okay, I talked to God about it.”

What you done, you’ve just said,
“Well, Lord, here’s what I think

is the best thing for me to do.

Here’s what I’m going to do.”

There are serious decisions that
we don’t take seriously, major

decisions that we think, well, I
asked God about it and He said

it’s okay.

Some people have told me things
were okay, and when I’ve been

around the Bible, I just take
the Word of God and say, “Well,

how do you say that’s okay when
God said, ‘Thou shall not.'”

Or He said it in some other
fashion.

Life is serious business because
every decision has its

consequence.

Consequences can be fantastic,
or they can be very costly.

You say, “Well, what’s this
peace got to do with it?”

When you are walking in the will
of God, and you ask Him about a

question, some decision you’re
having to make, when it’s His

will, He will give you a sense
of peace.

Now, you say, “What do you mean
by peace?”

I mean there will be a sense of
quietness in your spirit.

There will be no sense of
irritation going on within you.

There will not be any crowding
of doubts into your mind.

You won’t be asking somebody
else, “What do you think?”

When you have the peace of God,
there’s this overwhelming sense

of, yes, Lord.

Thank You, Jesus.

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Yes, yes, yes.

You’re–and somebody says,
“Well, I don’t know that I’ve

ever had that feeling.”

It’s because you haven’t stopped
to ask God, “Lord, what would

You have me to do?”

Listen, watch this, God’s not

going to keep a secret from you
when you want to do the right

thing.

He’s going to show you what to
do every time.

And that should start early in
life.

And sometimes, the less
opportunities we have in life,

early in life, the more it
drives us to God.

And you know, I grew up with no
father.

And so, it drove me to God very
early in my life, after I got

saved when I was twelve, and I
learned enough right after I was

saved to know that prayer was
the secret to everything.

And so, I learned to listen to
God very early.

And how did I learn to listen?

Not listening.

That’s where you–that’s one way
you learn to listen is not

listening.

And so, what happens?

You suffer the consequences, and
if you’re wise, it won’t take

you long to realize it’s always
wise to listen to God.

He’s willing to speak to your
heart whether you’re twelve or a

hundred and twelve.

Very important.

And God will give us peace when
that’s exactly what we need.

And then you have to ask
yourself the question: Is this

consistent with the way God
works?

In other words, with the way He
works in the Scriptures through

different characters in the
Bible?

Can I do this and know that I
have His approval?

Listen, if it’s consistent with
the will of God, it’ll be

consistent with the Word of God.

So, if you’re in the process of
making a decision, and you

should teach your children very,
very early in life that when

they’re making the decision,
before they make a decision, ask

God about it.

You say, “Well, what does that
twelve-year old kid know about

asking God?”

I can tell you.

I believe anybody who genuinely
wants to know the will of God

for their life, God will show
them.

Now, if you’re living in sin and
distant from Him, that’s a whole

different question.

What He’s going to show you is
you need to get right with Him.

But the question is: Is this
consistent with what God says?

You say, “Well, how will I know
that?”

You turn to the Word of God.

You say, “Well, I don’t know
where to turn.”

I’ll tell you what I learned.

I had my mother’s big Bible and
had a big index.

If I wanted to know something
about anything, I’d get her

Bible, turn to the index, and
see if I found a word that had

to do with what I was
dealing with.

You can find something about any
subject.

And so, the question is: Is it
consistent with what God says?

And you can find out.

And people say, “Well, you know
what, I think this is okay.”

Well, is that what God said?

No.

And sometimes the Word of God is
so explicit, and this is

absolutely sin.

And people say, “Well, I prayed
about it and I think it’s okay.”

So, sometimes I think people are
afraid to open the Word of God

because what it will do, it will
expose your life.

It will expose your life.

If you’re being obedient to God,
yes, you’ll know it.

If you’re being disobedient to
God, He will lead you to the

verses that warn you not to
partake in a particular area of

your life.

Then, of course, does this fit
who I am as a follower of Jesus

Christ?

And that should settle a lot of
things.

Does this action fit who I am as
a follower of Jesus?

Not as a church member.

Not as somebody who claims
they’re a Christian, but as a

follower of Jesus, that is, born
again, claim to be saved by the

grace of God, want to do His
will.

Does this fit that?

Does this fit who I am as a
follower of Jesus Christ?

For example, does my language
fit that?

Does my dress fit that?

Does my responses fit that?

Do my actions fit that?

That is, does it fit?

When you obey the Lord Jesus
Christ, what’s going to happen

is this, your actions are going
to fit who you claim to be.

So people who know you as a
follower of Jesus, as a

Christian, would they say of
you, “Well, their conversation

fits that.”

Certainly, she dresses like
that.

Certainly, he treats people like
that.

That is, in other words, it’s
real simple.

Here’s what He says.

The question is: How do I act?

What do I say?

How do I respond?

How do I dress?

Since I’m a follower of Jesus,
does this really and truly fit

who I am?

Then of course, another
question.

Does this act fit God’s overall
plan for my life?

For example, let’s say you got
saved and you want to be

baptized and you ask a question,
it’s a simple one.

Should I get baptized?

Well, what does the Word of God
say?

Sure, you should.

So not a question about that.

But then there are those
decisions like in your office,

they’re having a big party and
you know they’re going to drink

and carouse and whatever it
might be.

And do you have to ask God shall
I go or not?

You shouldn’t have to ask Him.

Because it is an atmosphere you
don’t fit in.

It’s an atmosphere that you’re
not comfortable in.

It’s an atmosphere that doesn’t
fit who you claim to be and who

you are.

And so, if I’m walking in the
will of God, things are going to

fit.

If I’m not walking in His will,
they’re not going to fit.

And so, I–a mother told me
sometime ago, she said, “My

daughter was getting ready to
leave and when I saw what she

was wearing, I told her,
‘There’s no way you’re getting

out of this house,'” which was a
wise woman because what she was

saying is, you don’t dress that
way because that’s not who you

are.

That doesn’t fit who you are.

And so, there’s no
inconsistencies in the will of

God.

So you ask yourself the
question: Well, Lord, does what

I do fit who I claim to be?

In your family, where you work,
or in school, or whatever it

might be, does your action, your
conversation, your conduct fit

who you claim to be?

So ask yourself that question.

There should be consistency.

Here’s who I say I am.

Here’s the way I act.

But if here’s what I say I am
and this is the way I act,

probably the greatest hindrance
to the Christian life is

Christians acting other than who
they say they are.

Our testimony, our witness, our
influence.

You teach your children and your
grandchildren how they are to

respond to situations and
circumstances.

Is that the way you act?

Listen, you say, “Well, nobody’s
perfect.”

We’re not talking about being
perfect.

We’re talking about living a
life of obedience to the Word of

God.

That is, you can’t improve on
God’s plan for your life.

And then, of course, will this
decision honor God?

If you make a decision, can you
say that it’s in keeping with

the Word of God?

That I can make this decision,
and when I get on my knees, or

when you pray before you go to
bed at night, you don’t have any

of this ruffling, scuffling
going on in your heart because

you obeyed Him.

Listen carefully, any decision
that keeps you awake at night

and you can’t sleep, you should
ask yourself the question: Why?

Now, I know we can be concerned
for people whom we love that are

maybe going through a tough
time.

But when it comes to your life,
if you can’t sleep at night and

you’re not sick and you roll and
toss and tumble and you sort of

think about a lot of things,
when God brings something to

your mind, don’t let it pass
without dealing with it.

Do you know why He does that?

To protect you, watch over you,
care for you, because He loves

you.

God will send things into our
life that we don’t like to

protect us from things that He
knows we wouldn’t like if we got

into it.

He’s a loving God.

He has the best plan.

And the reason–why do you think
people–why do people get on

drugs?

Why do they become addicts or
alcoholics?

What is it going on in a
person’s heart that would cause

them to drink so much they can’t
be themselves and know that one

of these days they could have an
accident or they could just die?

What is it people are trying to
cover up?

I can’t answer that question.

I wouldn’t even attempt to try.

But I don’t have to answer
question for them.

You and I have to answer the
question for ourselves.

Here’s where we are.

Here’s where God has led us so
far.

And my purpose and plan is to be
obedient to God through the last

moment of my life.

And you can’t ever go wrong with
that.

Then of course, the question is:
Will this decision result in

unrest and regret for the rest
of my life?

There are decisions people make
they never outlive.

They never get over it.

They’re still talking about it
in their latter years of life.

If I’d-a–how many times have I
heard this?

If I’d-a, I-F-I-D-A, if I’d-a.

If I’d-a done this.

If I’d-a thought about that.

If I’d-a just known about this.

If I’d-a, if I’d-a, if I’d-a.

And if I’d-a’s usually end up
with some suffering or

heartache or regret of some
sort.

Think about this, God has your
very best in mind.

He works to get you to do the
right thing.

And if you ignore Him, there are
consequences.

Then, can I expect God to reward
me for this decision?

Think about the decisions you
make, or thinking about making.

Can God reward you for making
that decision?

If you’ll think about it, there
are some big time, serious

decisions you have to make in
life, serious decisions that

affect not only you, but other
people.

So you ask yourself the
question: Can I expect God to

reward me for treating her or
him this way?

Or doing this or that?

Or going here or there?

Or participating in this?

Can I expect God to bless me,
reward me as a result of that?

If you’ll just think about these
sermons on the will of God, it’s

all about obeying God.

It’s all about how you’re living
your life.

It’s all about what you’re going
to do, how you’re going to

think.

God has a plan, a purpose, and a
desire for your life.

And He’s all for what’s best for
you.

He’s all for what’s good for
you.

Your name is written in the
Lamb’s Book of Life and He wants

to keep everything else right.

And you and I have to decide: Am
I going to trust Him with my

life?

Watch this, think about this for
a moment, you trusted Him with

your eternity.

You were born again.

Your name is written in the
Lamb’s Book of Life.

And you said, “God, I’m trusting
You that when I die I’m going to

be in heaven with You.”

Now, if you can trust God for
that, which is an eternal

decision, can you not trust Him
for daily decisions that are not

nearly so important?

Yes, you can.

God has a purpose, a plan, a
desire for your life.

You say, “Well, suppose I missed
about half of it?”

Well, is God disappointed?

Well, He knew you were going to
miss half of it before you were

born.

So, God isn’t disappointed.

He’s willing to step into your
life at any moment, at any place

you’re willing to welcome Him
and ask Him to straighten things

out.

God, I know I’m heading in the
wrong direction.

I’m asking You to forgive me.

Would You please give me
direction for my life at this

point?

Will He?
Yes, He will.

Suppose you’ve missed about,
let’s say three-quarters of your

life is gone.

And nobody knows whether that’s
true or not.

You can be twenty-one and it’s
true, or you can be a hundred

and it’s true, whatever it might
be.

Are you willing to say to Him,
“Lord, I want Your will.

I want Your best plan for my
life, whatever that is.

And I’m willing to surrender
whatever needs to be

surrendered, willing to change
whatever needs to be changed,

but I want Your best.”

Would you be willing to tell Him
that?

You want His best in your life.

You’re willing to change
whatever needs to be changed.

That’s the wisest decision you
can make.

Lord, I want Your will, whatever
that requires.

And I want to live in it the
rest of my life.

Let me tell you how that starts.

If you have never trusted Jesus
as your Savior, this is not

going to work.

It’s when you surrender your
life to Him, confessing your

sins, repenting of them, turning
away from them, surrendering

your life to Him, then you
become a child of God.

Then the two of you, from that
moment on, make decisions

together, if you’re willing to
listen.

But right now, you’re–without
Jesus, you’re by yourself.

You can’t expect God to give you
wisdom if you have rejected His

Son.

You may luck out, as you say,
and do a few things right.

Or you may do really well as far
as the world is concerned, but

there’s a payday coming, and you
will have to give an account for

a life in disobedience and
rebellion that paid off for you,

that made you rich, made you
famous, you name it, but all out

of the will of God, all in
opposition to God’s purpose and

plan for your life.

And remember this, you’ll never
make enough money to pay off

God.

You’ll never be famous enough
that you’ll be accepted by God.

It’s the blood of Jesus that
cleanses us from sin, that makes

us one of His children.

Father, we love You, and praise
You, and thank You that You love

us enough to take personal
interest in our life.

And I pray that every person who
hears this message will take it

seriously, eternally serious,
for it is the truth, that

wherever they may be at this
moment, surrender their life to

You, their Savior and Lord, and
surrender their life to You as a

habit, as a natural part of
their life every day, in Jesus’s

name.

Amen.