One of the greatest traps of the devil is to convince Christians that their life is all about what they want to do. This is what the world says. “Do what you love. Do what makes you happy.” It sounds good, doesn’t it? But for the Christian, it’s completely wrong. It’s self-centered, leaving God out of the picture. You see, life isn’t about doing what you want, it’s about doing God’s will for your life. 

 

I think many Christians today have lost sight of this truth, or they just don’t know it at all. We tend to focus so hard on pursuing what we want that we fail to stop and ask God, “Is this what you want of my life?” I’ve learned this the hard way. I’m a planner, and when I went to Bible college, I had my whole life planned out, but none of it happened the way I wanted! God showed me that He had a different plan—a better plan. 

 

We tend to go to God and say, “Lord, I want to do this for you.” Perhaps it’s a very good thing, but this is not how it works. In the Bible, Abraham did not go to God and say, “Lord, I want to be the father of many nations.” No, God came to Abraham with that plan. God came to Moses with the plan of redeeming the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt. God came to David to anoint him as king of Israel and to promise him an everlasting kingdom. You see, when God wants to do something in your life, He takes the initiative. He comes to you! 

 

This is something God has taught me. I tend to come up with ideas for ministry and I just want to do them. What I need to do first is go to God and say, “Is this what you want me to do?” If you carefully seek God, He will make it clear that He wants you to do that or not. We also need to be ready to do whatever God desires when He comes to us with a specific task. 

 

Notice this amazing statement from the Apostle Paul: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Paul’s outlook here is completely Christ-centered. It’s not about Paul’s life, it’s about Christ’s life being lived through Paul. This should be true for every Christian. 

 

So here is the challenge: in every area of your life, seek God’s will. This involves ministry, career, relationships, you name it. Whatever it might be, make sure that it is God’s will for you to do that. Don’t assume that it is God’s will just because it’s a good thing. What about this one: you’re praying for something, and it’s a good thing, but that doesn’t mean it’s God’s will. I know how hard this is! Yielding to God’s will, surrendering your will to His, this is a very difficult thing because we are so inclined to be self-centered. But I guarantee you, there is nothing more Christ-like than to seek God’s will first. Jesus said in the Garden, “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). 

 

So Christian, realize that your life is not about you. Your life is about accomplishing the purpose that God has for you. And whatever that might be, it’s far better than what you have planned. This means that you might have to sacrifice your plans and goals, but it’s worth it. You don’t know better than God! Please, surrender your will to His today.