Introduction: The Crossroads

Mark is at a crossroads. Two job offers have been presented to him. Which one should he choose? Which one is God’s will for him? He likes both and is well suited to each role. Should money be the deciding factor? Or the environment in which he will work?

For Kondwani, the question is which career he should pursue. Then there is also Steve, who is wondering what God’s will is regarding whom he should marry. Stephanie is asking whether she is “called” to singleness or if there is still room for marriage.

Other questions also linger: Which country should we live in, if we could choose? Which church should I join and be part of? Should I quit my job and start my own business? Is this the right time to change what I’m doing? The biggest question for devout believers is this: What is God’s will for me in this season of my life? How can I know His will for me now?

I was ‘gifted’ this question by a young friend who wanted to know how to navigate a particular situation in her life. She was at the point of making an important decision. Being the godly and wise person she is, she wanted to ensure that she made the right decision within the will of God. In helping her—and others, and especially myself—I have taken time over many years to study and wrestle with this same question: How can we know and find God’s will for our lives?

Two Schools of Thought in Seeking Guidance

There are two schools of thought in the Christian world on this matter. Dr. Peter Masters, in his book Steps for Guidance in the Journey of Life, clearly delineates these two views.

The New View on Guidance

One is called the “new view.” The new view states that Christians are entirely free to choose for themselves when they make decisions, whether large or small, provided their choice can take account of the moral guidance of the Bible. In other words, God treats Christians as mature individuals. They can decide for themselves, as long as they follow the general guidance of Scripture.

Should I marry, and whom should I marry? This view insists that the Bible gives no specific direction regarding what God has to say about each individual’s case. It maintains that there is an area of freedom granted by God—whether one marries and whom one marries—as long as it is done in pursuit of God’s kingdom and His righteousness.

A supporting case of this view would be the example of Paul. Paul the Apostle recommended celibacy because it is less cumbersome for those engaged in missionary work. His calling as an itinerant missionary and apostle seemed to favor this, and so he remained single. He had the right to take a believing wife (1 Cor. 9:5), but he chose not to exercise this right for the sake of the gospel (1 Cor. 9:15). Does not the Lord Jesus Christ say that “there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:12; italics mine)? To some extent, this points to the level of freedom believers have in making decisions in their lives.

Such an example provides one of the basis for the new view in decision making and seeking God’s will in life. It anchors it on being rational, calculating in our thinking, and exercising our freedom to make God-glorifying decisions.

The four tenets of this view are:

1. Christians are regarded by God as mature adults capable of making their own decisions.
2. God gives His people the privilege of personal choice in both major and minor matters.
3. God desires His people to make sensible decisions in light of the moral guidance and general principles of Scripture.
4. God’s purpose is that His people grow in wisdom and responsibility, rather than “handing over” their decisions to Him.

However, some Christian writers have opposed this view. For example, Peter Masters, in the same book, critiques this view in the following words:

“It is obvious that as soon as we no longer respect God’s specific will for our lives, we will find ourselves at the mercy of our personal inclinations and desires. These are bound to influence our decisions more highly than they should, and we will find it easy to justify and indulge our whims. Also, as soon as we are freed from the duty of submitting to and standing loyal to God’s will, we will more easily sheer away from hard callings and irksome situations.”

Because of this perspective, it can be argued, Christians may lack the restraint or conviction to remain in their callings when difficulties arise. This is largely due to the absence of a strong sense that God has specifically placed them in a particular role, church, or vocation. When believers have a strong conviction of being where they are or doing what they are doing as the will of God, they persevere in the path they are in. Paul often introduced himself as an apostle by the will of God (see 1 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1). This conviction gave him a sense of obligation to fulfil the task he had. But without such a conviction, one can simply bail out when the work becomes too hard to bear.

If this is the case with the new view, which has some good biblical grounds as well, what is the alternative? We shall explore that in the next blog post.