God’s Will For Us
“Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Lately, I’ve been questioning the concept of God’s will. What does it really mean to do God’s will? What is His will for me and how do I know what it is? And even if I do think I know what it is, why should I do it? What if His will for me involves sacrifices that I don’t want to make, and opposition that I don’t want to face? How do I know that it is worth it?
Amidst all this internal questioning, I was struck by a particular line from the book Sleeping with Bread: Holding What Gives You Life by Dennis, Sheila, and Matthew Linn. “God’s will “ it reads, “is generally for us to do more of whatever we are most grateful for or whatever gives us most life.” Wow, could it really be that simple? Then I came upon this passage from 1 Thessalonians, in which Paul defines God’s will for us as being joyful and thankful in all that we do. Reconciling these two claims, I’ve come to a new understanding of God’s will. Choosing to do God’s will is choosing to be joyful and grateful. Sometimes this is simply an act of willpower to be positive and thank God no matter what the circumstances, but it would also make sense that the more we do what we enjoy, the more we will be able (and the easier it will be) to genuinely rejoice and give thanks to God in prayer.
From this perspective, praying to know God’s will is praying to know what makes you most genuinely joyful and thankful to God. To me, and I think most (including Jesus!) would agree with me, this is praying to know love. My belief is that the more we learn how to give and receive as much love as we can, the more we learn about what makes us most joyful and grateful, the more we learn about God’s will for us.
This does not mean that all my questions about God’s will are resolved. But I draw strength from my belief that choosing it is to choose a life of greater joy, gratitude, and love. For such, I am told, is His will for us.
What do you think it means to do God’s will? And how do you think you can discover this in your life?

~Kevin Sevcik

Becky Eldredge

Becky is an Ignatian-trained spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and writer. She is the author of the Busy Lives and Restless Souls (March 2017, Loyola Press) and The Inner Chapel (April 2020, Loyola Press). She helps others create space to connect faith and everyday life through facilitating retreats and days of reflection, through writing, and through spiritual direction. With nearly twenty years of ministry experience within the Catholic Church, Becky seeks to help others discover God at work in the every day moments of people’s lives by utilizing St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises and the many gifts that our Catholic faith and Ignatian Spirituality provide.