Knowing God's will has been the number one question in my mind since I have been a believer. It just doesn't seem to go away. It applies in a ton of different circumstances. What should my job be? Should I go to graduate school? Where should I go to graduate school? Who should I marry? Are we ready to have kids?

It's good to want to know God's will. It means you're concerned about what He wants with your life. That's a really great thing.

It's sometimes tough to know what God's will is. However, I don't think it has to be. I'm not saying it's simple black and white. I'm just saying it's not as mysterious as we might think.

I haven't had a ton of experiences with looking for God's will (I'm only 24). But the few that I've had have been memorable and impactful. I hope you find this beneficial.

So here's the first part of this and what I think is a very important component a lot of people overlook in finding God's will.

God's will does not contradict the Bible.

Nope. Not one bit.

We can know this because of what the Bible claims to be. Second Timothy says all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. So, if all of the Bible is inspired by God, how could we think God would do or be something different than what He Himself wrote?

The only way I can figure this would make sense would be if God changed somehow. You and I have opinions and we argue them. But sometimes we change our opinions based upon an experience we have or some new information we receive. Well, God already knows all. First John 3:20 says God knows everything. Since His knowledge is without end, His "opinion" will never change based upon a new influx of information or a new experience.

And since God is the same "yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8), He is the same today as He was when He inspired the Bible a few thousand years ago. The Bible will not contradict God. God's will will not go against what the Bible says.

Let me unpack this a bit with a few examples and try to make it applicable.

If you are married to a woman who is faithful to you but is starting to get on your nerves, it will never be God's will for you to divorce her. Never. Happy, unhappy, getting your needs met or not, it will never be God's will for people who are faithful to each other to divorce one another. We can know this because of the way the Bible speaks of marriage and divorce, and God does not contradict His Word (Matthew 5:32).

Here's another example.

If your taxes are increased by the government, it is not God's will for you to get around that, even if you are using the money for a good cause. I don't care if you're taking the money and using it to help save starving children in Africa. It is not God's will for you to cheat the government of your money, even if they are taking "too much." Why is this true? Because of how Paul said for us to deal with the government in Romans 13, and what Jesus said about our relationship with the State (Matthew 22:21). And since God's will does not contradict His Word, we know it is not God's will for us to do these things. 

One last example.

Let's suppose I got a job offer. My wife would not like to work some day and this job pays enough where she woudn't have to. But the job is directly linked with obtaining money in an illegal fashion. And I'm aware of it before I take the job. This is an easy decision for me. Because, well, the job would force me to be dishonest, and that would go against what the Bible teaches about honest gain and hard work (Proverbs 13:11). Lynsey and I would not have to deliberate on this decision because God is not honored by dishonest gain based on what the Bible says, and God's will does not contradict the Bible. 

Let me wrap this up.

If you're faced with a decision, the first thing you've got to do is ask yourself, "Does the Bible address this issue in any way?" Then, use honest discernment with the help of the Holy Spirit and ask, "Does this decision contradict what the Bible says?"

If the decision goes against the Bible, it is not God's will for you to proceed.