The Will of God

Romans 12:2

Have you ever heard someone describe the will of God as vague, mysterious, or ambiguous?

Preachers often talk about the will of God like it’s some hidden, elusive secret. As a result, many believers live in constant confusion about what God wants for their lives. They treat his will like a puzzle—something they have to search for, hoping they'll stumble across it one day, but never really sure if they ever will. But the truth is, God’s will isn’t complicated. It’s not buried. It’s not vague. God isn’t trying to confuse us or keep us guessing. 

Ephesians 5:17 says, Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Clearly, God wants us to know His will, and He’s revealed it to us. To explore it, let’s walk through a simple progression. These are not optional or obscure. They give us clear direction and are central to every Christian's life. 

1. Salvation

1 Timothy 2:4 says, Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Contrary to what some claim, God hasn’t chosen some people for heaven and others for hell. His will is that all would be saved—and that’s why he sent Jesus to be a ransom for all. Without salvation, none of the other steps are possible. This is step one on the path of God’s will. 

2. Sanctification 

1 Thessalonians 4:3 says, For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication.

Once a person is saved, the Holy Spirit begins a lifelong process of transformation—changing the heart, renewing the mind, and reshaping actions. Sanctification isn’t instant, but it is constant.

Think of it this way: Salvation is spiritual birth. Sanctification is spiritual growth.

2 Peter 1:5–9 gives a great list of what a growing Christian should be adding to their faith. If he's not adding, he's not growing. God’s will is holiness—not moral compromise. There’s no excuse for sexual sin in a believer’s life. It contradicts God’s design and derails spiritual growth. 

3. Submission

Once a believer is growing in sanctification, they begin to live out their true purpose—not just becoming godly, but being fully used by God.

Unfortunately, many Christians focus so much on being godly that they overlook submission. But you cannot skip from salvation to godliness. God-likeness requires dying to self. Submission means saying, “Not my will, but yours be done.” It’s laying down your life, your plans, and your future to God. It’s taking your hands off the steering wheel of your life and trusting God to lead. As sanctification deepens your trust and love for God, you're more willing to let go of self and say, 'not my will but yours be done.' We each need to be fully committed to doing whatever God asks — going wherever he leads. Like sanctification, this kind of surrender is not a one-time decision but a way of living: moment by moment, choosing and wanting God’s path over our own. That’s not always easy. As humans, we crave a sense of control, especially over the future. But the truth is, real peace comes when we stop trying to run our own lives and start trusting God to lead. Even when we can't see the next step, his way is always better — and the freedom and rest that come from letting go are far greater than anything we could plan for ourselves. There's been many times when I could not see the next step to take. But in God's timing, he showed the way, opened up a door, closed a door, and I took the step - sometimes a leap - of faith into something unknown to me. Remember that God is already in the unknown, and when we get there, if it's his will, we will have complete peace that - no doubt whatsoever - that this is what God has for us.

4. Satisfaction

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

This is a major mark of someone who has submitted to God: they have learned to be thankful in all things, not because life is easy, but because they trust that God is good.

Satisfaction follows submission because as long as you’re chasing control or your own desires, you’ll remain restless—even if you “get what you want.” Satisfaction isn’t circumstantial. It comes when God becomes your portion and your prize. Psalm 16:11 says, Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

A satisfied Christian doesn’t depend on circumstances for joy. He gives thanks in both abundance and suffering—because his peace is rooted in God’s character, not in the ups and downs of life.

5. Surrender 

Romans 12:1 says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

You cannot surrender to God until you're satisfied in Him. Otherwise, surrender feels like loss instead of worship. Without satisfaction, surrender becomes legalism. You start giving things up for God, not because you trust Him, but because you think you have to earn His favor. You begin measuring your spirituality by how much you’ve “given up.” 

Consider the older brother in Luke 15:

• He stayed.

• He served.

• He obeyed.

But he wasn’t satisfied in his father’s love. So he grew bitter, prideful, and resentful. His obedience wasn’t worship—it was a transaction. But when a believer has truly tasted and seen that the Lord is good, they gladly let go of lesser things for a greater one—Jesus. We don’t surrender to get something from God. We surrender because we already have everything in Christ. And in light of His mercy, full surrender is our reasonable service. 

6. Separation 

Romans 12:2 says, And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Many Christians say they’re surrendered, but they still want to blend in with the world. Separation is not about isolation or superiority. It’s about distinction. It's about living a life that reflects your identity in Christ. And it’s not only behavioral—it’s relational and positional. You can’t be half in and half out. You can’t follow Christ with one foot in the world. You must choose a side. True separation flows from true surrender. If you haven’t surrendered fully, you won’t separate deeply. Your “set apart” life will feel forced and fake. But when you've surrendered, separation becomes a joy—because you're choosing the better portion. 

We don’t need Christians who blend in. We need Christians who shine.

Now, imagine these six steps as an interstate. And picture God’s specific will as the exits. If you're on the interstate—living in God’s revealed will—then when the time comes, God can clearly tell you which exit to get off on and what direction to take.

But if you're still on some back road—living in sin, rejecting gratitude, or refusing surrender—you’re not even on the right highway. You can’t expect God to direct your steps when you’re not even walking in His direction.

For example:

• If you’re not abstaining from fornication, you’re not in God’s will.

• If you're not giving thanks or surrendered, you’re not in God’s will.

• If you're not sharing the gospel, you're not in God’s will.

But once you're living out these six foundational steps—you’re on the right interstate path. And when it’s time to take a turn, God will say, take this exit. And you won't have to guess if it's right or what God wants you do. You have perfect peace and know: this is the way. Walk in it. 

Life in Xiamen, China

 August 28th I moved to Xiamen, China. The plane left in the evening, but a lightning storm delayed us from taking off. We waited 30 minutes on the plane, then 30 more, then taxied to the runway and waited more. I originally had a 2 hour layover in California which was enough time to get to the next plane, but because of the delays, I barely made it on the plane (they were all waiting for me and calling the flight over and over), and my luggage didn't make it on. From LA, CA. to Xiamen it was a direct flight - definitely a God thing because direct flights from Orlando are super rare and super expensive, but this ticket was in the 600s. Side note, if you want to travel to Asia, now's the time to buy a ticket! :) 

Beautiful skies

This is a Chinese airline and a huge jet. I was blessed to have a window seat. The airline provided a blanket, pillow, water, and several meals. 

This was the dinner.

Breakfast the next morning

At the airport I waited in line for customs for a while, completely forgetting to fill out the luggage form, but thankfully my sponsors and I remembered when we were outside. 😄

I arrived on Saturday, met my sponsors and new friend Jackie who I ended up staying with the whole week. Then that afternoon I walked down to the ocean. This city reminds me a lot of Honduras: the way people drive,

 the way vendors have open shops selling food and other items along the side of the road,

 the way people hang clothes outside to dry, 

the way people sit outside in the evenings and chat and drink coffee, and many other little things. 

In this particular province I haven't seen any houses. Every building is at least a couple stories.

This is the main road to walk down to get to the ocean. No cars are allowed and on the right and left sides there are all different kinds of shops. 

And these random cute statues sit in the middle. 😅

At the end of that pedestrian road, an underground tunnel takes you to the other side of the road where you can hop on a ferry to ride across the water.

Other sights:

They have McDonalds, KFC, and Starbucks here. 

For the first week I stayed in the upstairs at this school with my friend Jackie. She runs this school and taught me many Chinese words. Many days I ate lunch with the students (they were still in summer school). I met many kids (one especially - besides Jackie - helped me alot with new Chinese words) and ate a lot of good food cooked by Jackie.

We sat outside and had coffee and breakfast together. Many times it was mian bao - a bread they eat for breakfast - or toast.

You need groceries? Food from a restaurant? Drinks? 

You can easily order free delivery online and delivery people will come shortly. 

At the end of the alley (where the guy in the previous picture is walking towards the road) is this very popular road. I understand that it is Xiamen Rd. and so many young people come to take photos with the 2 words on this building....and the fish tank. 😂

I attend an international church that meets in this building (it's owned by the 7th day Adventists so we can use it on Sundays). International means that only passport passholders or those married to a passport holder can attend. 

Fountain that is never on. haha

See the temple on top of this building? My friend told me a lot of places are built around a temple. 

More sights from my walk from Jackie's place to the school where I work. 

Integrity park

Fire station. I don't know why it's so tall.

My school

My housemate and I went to the mall one evening to eat and I saw this dispenser. 

At a Greek restaurant. Do you see that little opening next to the men sitting at that table? That's a hand washing station. 

Some stores sell these huge bouquets of flowers.

My first time riding in taxi by myself I saw these figurines. 😁

Not to give too much information but this is something interesting. This is how the Chinese toilets look. You put your feet on either side and squat. (Also, similarly to Honduras, throw the paper in the trash can.)

For the first time I rent my own place! Well, I have a housemate, but still. It's way more affordable than in America. We're on the 12th floor of this 49-story building. 

This post is long enough so I'll stop here and share more pictures next time. :) 

I hope you are having an awesome week, and thank you for following along! Feel free to comment if you have any questions and I'll answer them in the next post.