This is a quote from Sinclair Ferguson:
“To the unregenerate, God’s will is inevitably unpleasant, simply because it is his will and not their will.”
I think that it is not only the unregenerate who sometimes find God’s will unpleasant. I know people who profess to be Christ’s followers who are not always pleased to submit themselves to the will of God.
But God always and only has good intended for those who obey and submit to His will, His guidance and His direction for our lives.
You might wonder how you can know the will of God.
The Bible provides us with events, commands, along with Jesus’ living example of what God’s will is.
Romans 12:2 gives us guidance on how we can clear our mind so we can know the will of God: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
God’s followers must clear their minds of the world’s ways. As we study the Bible, we learn how God thinks. Anything that differs is worldly, and we should to not be conformed to that way of thinking.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 instructs us to have gratitude in our hearts, this is the will of God: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Each day, how much gratitude do we exhibit in word and in our behavior? This verse tells us it is God’s will for us to be grateful in ALL circumstances. We don’t like that. It is hard to be grateful when we are ill, our boss tells us this is our last day, our spouse decides marriage isn’t for him or her, etc.
But God doesn’t say to be thankful only when good things happen to us! It is much easier to be thankful when life is good.
But God knows that when we show Him gratitude in the trying times, He will do internal work in us so that we can better manage our circumstances.
1 Peter 2:15 provides another aspect of God’s will: “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.” Doing good for others is always God’s will. However, we must be discerning so that our good doesn’t harm someone. For example, the beggar on the street wants cash. Would cash truly be a blessing, or might it lead the person into a harmful situation, ie drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality. Instead, we might get food for the person, or clothing, or get him or her to a mission, etc.
When I am discerning God’s will in a matter that is not clear, I walk myself through some Biblical principles:
I ask myself what my motive is in doing or not doing something.
I ask myself if I’m being generous.
I ask myself if my pride is a problem.
I ask myself if what I intend to do will further God’s kingdom because it aligns with the Bible.
I ask myself if the people I intend to spend time with are good company or bad company, who could corrupt my morals.
I search the Bible for guidance, looking at people like Joseph [Genesis], Moses [Exodus-Deuteronomy], David [Samuel/Kings/Chronicles], Paul [Acts and New Testament letters], and especially how Jesus handled Himself [the four Gospels].
I may also seek the guidance from another Christ-follower I trust to speak clear truth to me. I don’t want someone who will tell me what they think I want to hear. I want truth, based upon God’s Word.
I want God’s will to be my will. I never want to see anything He asks of me as unpleasant, because He would never take me through a tough time without it yielding something beneficial.
Matthew 6:10 reminds us that we want to do God’s will here and now, as it is done in heaven: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
God, please help us to love you, and show that love by doing your will, without complaint, and with gratitude.
Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? It is God’s will that you relinquish your life to Jesus. I would be glad to talk with you about dedicating your life to Jesus, and living a life doing His will. Please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com.
Living for Jesus, Donna
P.S. If this has helped you, please share it with others!
Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you. Also, please remember to look at the full context of the verses by reading the complete passage.
Copyright 2026 Donna Shappy All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.