Following God’s Will - Scripture for Seniors
“I feel like I am going to make the wrong choice and mess everything up.”
I remember confessing those words to my youth pastor like it was yesterday. My heart’s desire in choosing a college was to follow God’s will. However, I was utterly confused about what that looked like. Honestly, I was terrified.
As a High School English teacher, I constantly have conversations with students about where they believe the Lord wants them.
Students: “I just wish God would directly tell me what His will is.”
My response: “He has. Just open His Word.”
God has clearly laid out everything we need for “life and godliness.” Direction for us to follow His will are in His Word. His revealed will? Become more like Christ each and every day.
All throughout Scripture, the Lord is very clear that outside actions aren’t His concern. Remember Mary and Martha? Martha was so focused on doing, doing, doing that she forgot about being with the Savior. Mary, on the other hand, simply wanted to be with Christ.
Therefore, when students come to us painfully seeking out their next step, we can give them confident guidance from the Scriptures.
Will your next step help you become a better imitator of God?
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” - Ephesians 5:1
Will your next step help you pursue holiness?
“Training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” - Titus 2:12
Will your next step teach you selflessness?
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” - Philippians 2:3
Will your next step help you pursue purity in Christ?
“But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.” - Ephesians 5:3
Will your next step teach you to listen to the Lord and His Word?
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” - James 1:19
Will your next step produce in you a heart of thanksgiving to God?
“Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.” - Ephesians 5:4
The Lord has clearly told us that His will for us is holiness and santification. By encouraging students to simply seek Christ and His kingdom in all things, fear is removed and students learn that they can walk forward in confidence - daily becoming more like Christ in the big and little decisions.
“Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” - Ephesians 1:4