The Will of God vs. Willing Like God
There is a big difference between wanting the will of God and wanting to will things like God. Most of us would say we want God’s will for our lives. We pray, “God, show me what You want me to do.” But, if we are honest, sometimes we have already decided what we want to do. We have made the plan, chosen the direction, and pictured the outcome. Then we bring it to God and ask Him to bless it. We are not really seeking His will—we are asking Him to approve ours.
James 4:13–15 says, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’… Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’”
The problem was not that these men made plans. Planning is wise. The problem was that they planned as if they were in control. They talked about tomorrow as though tomorrow belonged to them.
As men, we often feel responsible for holding everything together. We want to provide for our families, protect the people we love, solve problems, make good decisions, and have an answer when something goes wrong. Those are good desires, but they can slowly convince us that everything depends on us. We begin to believe that if we work harder, plan better, and stay in control, we can guarantee the outcome. But there is a name for believing that everything depends on you—It is not leadership, it’s pride.
We may never say it out loud, but our actions often say, “I know what is best. I know how this should turn out. I know when it should happen. God, I would like Your help, but I do not really want Your direction.” That may look like confidence from the outside, but many times it is fear wearing work boots. We are afraid of what might happen if we are not in control.
Jesus showed us a different kind of strength. In the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing that suffering and the cross were ahead of Him, Jesus prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus did not hide what He wanted. He was honest about the pain, but He surrendered His human desire to the Father’s will (the ultimate will).
“Not my will, but Yours” may be one of the strongest prayers a man can ever pray. It takes strength to release the outcome. It takes courage to obey when you do not understand. It takes faith to keep walking when God’s plan looks nothing like yours. Surrender is not weakness. Surrender is trusting that God sees what you cannot see, knows what you cannot know, and is working even when you cannot feel Him working.
Maybe you thought your career would be further along by now. Maybe you expected your marriage to look different. Maybe you believed your business would succeed, your finances would be stronger, your children would make different choices, or the prayer you have prayed for years would have already been answered. You had a plan, but life did not follow the script.
Those moments reveal what we really believe about God. Do we trust Him only when He agrees with us? Do we worship Him only when He gives us what we want? Do we follow Him only when the road is comfortable?
It is easy to say that God is good when the door opens. Faith is trusting that God is still good when the door closes.
Joseph never planned to be betrayed by his brothers. He did not dream about being sold into slavery, falsely accused, thrown into prison, and forgotten. Yet every interruption became part of God’s preparation. Years later, Joseph could tell his brothers, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). What looked like a detour was actually part of God’s direction. What looked like a setback was positioning him for his purpose.
You may not understand what God is doing right now. You may not see how the disappointment, delay, rejection, or struggle could possibly be used for good. But you do not have to understand the plan to trust the Planner. Faith is not believing that God will do everything you want. Faith is believing that God is still good when He does something different.
Even good desires can become idols when we refuse to surrender them. A career can be good. A successful business can be good. Financial security, a strong marriage, a healthy family, and an influential ministry can all be good. But a good thing becomes a dangerous thing when we believe we cannot have peace unless God gives us what we want. At that point, we are no longer saying, “God, lead me.” We are saying, “God, follow me.”
Proverbs 16:9 says, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” We make plans, but God directs. We work, but God provides. We plant, but God brings the growth. We obey, but God determines the outcome. Our responsibility is faithfulness. His responsibility is the future.
Seeking God’s will does not mean sitting still and refusing to make decisions. It means moving forward with open hands. It means saying, “God, I believe this is the direction You are leading me, but if You close the door, I will trust You. If You change the plan, I will follow You. If the answer is no, I will still worship You. If the answer is wait, I will remain faithful.”
Many men ask, “God, what do You want me to do?” But perhaps the deeper question is, “God, who do You want me to become?” We often want God to reveal the entire plan, while God is more concerned with developing our character. We want an answer. God wants our obedience. We want clarity. God wants our trust.
You do not need a supernatural sign before choosing integrity. You do not need a special word from heaven before forgiving someone. You do not need confirmation before loving your wife, being present with your children, telling the truth, honoring your commitments, or serving when no one notices. Much of God’s will has already been revealed in God’s Word. The question is not whether we know enough. The question is whether we will obey what we already know.
So make the plan, but hold it loosely. Build the business, but do not let it become your identity. Lead your family, but remain humble enough to admit when you are wrong. Work hard, but remember that the results do not belong to you. Pray boldly, but trust God enough to accept His answer.
A closed fist may fight for control, but it cannot receive direction. God may not be asking you to abandon your dream. He may simply be asking you to place it in His hands.
Every man eventually reaches a place where his strength is not enough. Your knowledge, money, determination, experience, and connections will all reach their limit. When that day comes, you will have a choice. You can tighten your grip and demand your way, or you can open your hands and trust His.
The strongest man is not the man who controls every outcome. The strongest man is the one who can stand in uncertainty, remain faithful under pressure, and pray, “God, I do not understand what You are doing. This is not what I planned. This is not what I wanted. But You are God, and I am not. My life, my family, my future, and my plans belong to You.”
Stop asking God to sign His name at the bottom of the plans you have already written.
Hand Him the pen.
The goal of the Christian life is not to become powerful enough to control our future. It is to become surrendered enough to trust God with it.