Discerning God's Will

The Psalmist proclaims, “Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.” However, this proclamation brings up the question of how to discern God's will. For instance, young people would like to know what kind of career God wants them to have. Another question may concern, for instance, whether one should start a business one has always dreamed of, but whether the risks are worth taking. What about knowing who the right person is to marry? We have so many questions in what to do or where to go in life that we'd like God to speak to us DIRECTLY, as we speak to each other. How then do we come to know God's will for us, so that we also can proclaim along with the Psalmist, “Here am I Lord; I come to do your will?”

God prefers to speak to us INDIRECTLY through the people and circumstances that he allows us to experience in daily life. In other words, God MEDIATES his will to us through the created world, through what the Church teaches us or whether through members of our family, friends, co-workers, superiors at work and so on. For example, the initial inspiration to build the airplane came from the time when the father of the Wright Brothers gave them a toy, which simply consisted of a propeller attached to a string that allowed the propeller to go up and down on a stick.

Today, it's unimaginable of how our modern world would be without the airplane, which transports people and goods throughout the globe. All this is now possible because it all began with showing two children a propeller attached to a string on a stick. It's amazing how our lives can be influenced by a short moment, which at the time seemed INCONSEQUENTIAL to having any significant effect on world events. Nevertheless, that's how God operates through people and the circumstances in our lives. The great moments in world history, therefore, usually begin with gentle nudges, not a big bang.

Why does God work this way? No one has a level of holiness to see God face to face and live. If any of us would see God unhindered without the veil of creation, we'd drop dead faster than a blink of an eye since we'd be so filled with joy that we wouldn't be able to withstand it. That's why Jesus had to take on a human body to converse with the people of his time; otherwise, Jesus' holiness would make him unapproachable due to their sins. Besides, God loves creation and enjoys working through it since creation is a result of his overflowing love.

Moreover, God may also mediate his will by allowing us to be in a particular circumstance, whereby the inspiration or challenge we have can give us just enough of a shift of focus to let us know what to do. For example, being confined in bed due to an illness may give us just the time we need to slow down and reflect on improving broken relationships in our life. That's why we should always bless God—especially during difficult moments—because adversity can often be a time of opportunity to know God's will in our life. God then wants us to love him for whom he is, not just what he gives us.

Knowing God's will then calls us to be PATIENT, whereby we trust that God is always working to help us accomplish what he wants us to do. Discerning God's will then requires us to be like a good detective who’s POISED—yet determined—in putting all the pieces together. In doing so, we'll be enabled to proclaim with the Psalmist, “I have waited, waited for the Lord, and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.” (Psalm 40)