By Hannah Kasprzyk
Many years ago Corrie ten Boom very wisely stated, “Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.” I absolutely love this quote! As a young person, I would read it over and over as I wondered and dreamed of what my life would be like. The future can be both scary and exciting all at the same time!
It amazes me how God uses everything and everyone in my life to shape me more into the person He wants me to be.
As a teenager and young adult, I remember asking questions like: How do you find God’s will for your life? How will I know what God wants me to do, who to marry, and where to go? These are big questions a lot of young people wonder about. Maybe you have even asked this as well. Being in the center of God’s will is something every Christian should constantly strive for no matter what stage of life you find yourself in. The good news is that God is not hiding His will from you. He wants you to know His plan for your life more than you do. So, how do you find God’s will, you ask? Here are some things I have learned in my life.
First of all, you’ll find out God’s future will for your life as you do God’s daily will for you today.
Yes, it really is that simple! Proverbs 3:6 tells us “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” There are many things that we know we ought to do as a Christian to live right and serve God. (See Matthew 6:33, Mark 12:30-31, Ephesians 6:1-2, and I Corinthians 10:31.) God wants us to do what we know is right to do today and be found faithful. When He sees He can trust us to do the little things, He will entrust us with the next step. It is a growing process. Every experience is molding and shaping us more like Christ - you can’t rush the process. As you do God’s daily will for your life, He will begin to reveal His future will to you step by step.
As you seek God’s will, don’t overlook the importance of developing yourself into a person God can use.
God has gifted each person with a unique set of talents and abilities that He wants to use. Too many teenagers may falsely think they can spend their teen years however they want and then get serious about God and find His will when they graduate from high school. God wants to start preparing you as soon as you will let Him. Don’t make the mistake of waiting until you are “older” to begin learning life skills and developing talents. The Bible says in Ephesians 5:16-17, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” Let me encourage you to discover what you are good at and develop your talents so that God can use you. Prepare now so that when God opens a door, you are ready to walk through it.
Another very important step towards finding God’s will is complete surrender.
Is there anything you are holding back from God that He cannot have or you won’t let Him use? If so, that is going to hinder you in your search for His will. Lay your all on the altar and give God full control over your life. Remember if God calls you to it, He will see you through it. God will not ask you to do something that He will not enable you through His strength to do. You never know what amazing things God will do with a person who is completely surrendered to Him.
As a teenager, I often wondered what God would have me to do with my life. I had the privilege to attend many youth rallies, youth conferences, and teen camps. Early on, I surrendered to do whatever God wanted me to do. I had no clue what that could be, but I was willing to do whatever. I began to get busy doing God’s daily will and getting involved in the ministries of my church - nursery, Wednesday night kids program, bus route, singing in the choir. I also had a big desire to learn to play the piano. As I developed that talent, it became clear I wanted to go to Bible college and study music after high school. It was through attending Bible college that I not only developed my skills as a pianist but also began to learn how to teach (and met my future husband). At first my thoughts were to simply be a church pianist and teach piano lessons. Before my time in college was over, God had directed my path to be an elementary school teacher in Maryland. Today, I not only teach piano and music classes but also teach in the Christian school and serve in my local church in a variety of children’s ministries and the music ministry. Looking back now after having been happily married for six years and working in the same ministry for the last nine years, I am amazed at how God has led me each step of the way as I did His daily will, developed myself for His service, and stayed surrendered.
God has allowed me to do far more and serve Him in more ways than I ever dreamed! God’s will is the best!