To live under God’s will is not about losing our freedom—it’s about finding the deepest freedom of all: to be who we were created to be. Many people imagine God’s will as a fixed plan we must somehow decode, but Scripture shows it is more like a living relationship. In the Gospel, Jesus says, “My food is to do the will of the One who sent Me” (John 4:34). Living under God’s will means learning to see as Christ sees, to love as He loves, and to trust that His way leads to life, even when it is not easy.
When we submit to God’s will, we are not simply obeying orders; we are allowing His love to shape our choices. The Lord’s Prayer teaches us this every time we say, “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Those words are a surrender, but also a confession of trust: “Father, I believe Your way is better than mine.” It’s a daily act of faith, not a one-time decision.
Living under God’s will also calls for discernment. The Holy Spirit speaks quietly within our hearts—through Scripture, prayer, and the wisdom of the Church—to guide us in each moment. Sometimes God’s will is revealed clearly; other times, we must walk by faith, doing the next loving and faithful thing we know to do. In this way, God’s will becomes not just something we follow, but something we live from the inside out.
And so, to live under God’s will is to walk in love and trust. It means letting His Word shape our desires, His peace rule our hearts, and His Spirit direct our paths. It is not the path of control, but of communion. It is where our small “yes” meets His great mercy—and our lives become a reflection of His purpose in the world.
Lord, teach me to trust Your wisdom more than my own. Let Your will become my peace, and Your love my guide in all things.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
