We tend to focus on “God’s will” with respect to circumstances, in large part because circumstances press in upon us daily. We want to know if we are doing the “right” things, if our struggling circumstances mean we are outside God’s will.

The Bible states in plain language what God’s will is. It says so right here in 1 Thessalonians (and it lets you know it is saying so).

The specific thing that is the will of God is our “sanctification.”  This word means to be set apart to God’s service. What that means is that whatever we choose to do circumstantially is not the key to following God’s will. It is not a certain job or a specific relationship. God’s will is not a circumstance. It is the complicated process of sanctification, which means being “set apart” to God’s service. 

It is not what we do or where we live, but how we do what we do that matters. Regardless of where we dwell or what we choose to do with our time, God’s will for our lives is that we live a life of obedience. And no geography, no circumstance will provide it by magic. Neither will any circumstance disqualify us from pursuing it.

God’s will is not for us to do, but for us to be. To be faithful disciples. To see the lessons and the opportunities in each struggle. To follow his ways through all the arenas of life.

“This is the will of God: your sanctification”
– 1 Thessalonians 4: 3