Perhaps, the biggest theological question that every one of us asked is: “What is the will of God for me?” and “How do I know the will of God for my life?”

There is no easy answer to these questions. There is no easy formula to solve life’s questions. But as we take life’s journey, the Holy Spirit will help us identify through various ways, what is His will for each one of us. Therefore, we must be sensitive to the movement of the Spirit and His timing.

God’s Timing

Indeed, God’s timing is the best timing for us. The will of the Father in Jesus Christ is the best thing that can happen in your life. Unfortunately, people have a tendency to take their own decision without waiting upon the Lord. People take life’s decisions by trusting in their own power, in their own knowledge, and based on what is good in their eyes.

But if your decision is not in accordance with what God wills for you in Jesus Christ then it will not last long. It may seem successful for the time being but soon you will experience that life is not going in the right direction.

Isaiah 40: 31 “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”

This passage assures us that those who wait upon the Lord and live according to His will would prosper in the end.

One of the greatest lessons we can learn about “the community living in the will of God” is from the Israelite Story in the wilderness. In Number 9: 17 -23 – “Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent they set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.”

It does not matter sooner or later, how many days, months or years, the only thing that mattered to them was, “what does God say” and the end result was always good.

Many times, the life situation before God’s timing often seems difficult for us to accept in the beginning. We feel like we are losing on all fronts, it appears nothing is happening at the right time. However, when God’s time comes for your life, you will fly like an eagle, your reward will be great and you will never regret what God has made for you.

Know the Will of God

The Bible clearly states that only the Holy Spirit knows the mind of God, and therefore, only those who receive the Holy Spirit will know the will of God.”

1 Cor. 2: 11 – 14: “For who knows a person’s thoughts except for their own spirit within them? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us…

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”

Thus, if you want to know what the will of God for you is, you MUST FIRST HAVE the HOLY SPIRIT in your life.

Receive the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit that comes from God is Holy. Therefore, whoever lives a holy and righteous life the Holy Spirit comes upon them.

More importantly, whoever has received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior by being born again in Him receives the Holy Spirit as a gift from God. In other words, The Holy Spirit Himself is a gift from God.

Once you have repented and received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, then you are promised the gift of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1: 13 – “And when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation you also were included in Christ. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.”

Perhaps, the best sign to identify an authentic Christian is by the presence of the Holy Spirit. If people see the seal of God, the promised Holy Spirit in you, then your Christian life is meaningful and true.

If not, my friends, to be a Christian without the Holy Spirit is simply wasting your time. Trying to live as a Christian without receiving the Holy Spirit is a powerless endeavor and will never be able to face temptation victoriously. That’s the reason why many of us pray but don’t find the answer; read the bible but don’t understand or get no inspiration, try to resist the sin but rather become victims.

But as you receive the forgiveness of sin, and are born again then you will receive the Holy Spirit. Then the joy of being a Christian begins. You will be in constant communion with God through the Holy Spirit and God will let you know His will for you. In 2 Cor. 1: 21 & 22, “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

This victorious life is granted to each one of us in Jesus Christ. This life is the will of the Father for us. As much as Abraham and Moses and Paul and Peter communicated directly with God, so also we too are entitled to do the same through the Power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, today, if you hear His voice, come to Him and invite him into your life, and the rest of your life will be God’s story, not your story anymore.


Photo by Vladislav Babienko on Unsplash

Tiatoshi Longkümer is currently serving as the Pastor at the Ao Baptist Church, Kohima.