How Do I Know What God Wants Me to Do?
At some point, nearly every Christian asks the question: What does God want me to do?
Maybe you’re facing a major decision about your career, a relationship, your family, or where you should live. Or perhaps the question is less dramatic but more persistent: Am I actually living the life God wants me to live?
We often want God to give us a clear answer. We want to know which path to take, which opportunity to pursue, or which decision is the “right” one.
But Romans 12 gives us a different starting point.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
Before Paul talks about discerning the will of God, he talks about the transformation of our minds.
Knowing God’s Will Begins With a Renewed Mind
Romans 12 comes after eleven chapters in which Paul has explained the extraordinary mercy of God. Then he turns from theology toward how Christians should actually live.
He urges Christians to present themselves to God as a “living sacrifice.”
That means following Jesus is about more than believing the right things or attending church. Our entire lives—our relationships, work, priorities, decisions, time, and treatment of others—are offered to God.
But there is a problem.
We don't naturally see the world the way Jesus does.
Every day, we absorb messages about what makes a successful life. Our families, friends, entertainment, social media, news, and culture all influence the way we think. Many of those assumptions become so familiar that we never stop to question them.
That is why Paul tells us that following Christ requires the renewal of our minds.
What Does It Mean to Renew Your Mind?
Renewing your mind isn't simply trying to think more positively.
It means allowing the story of Jesus Christ to reshape the way you understand yourself and the world.
As Fr. Michael explains in his sermon, our minds need to become saturated with Scripture and with the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Over time, this gives us a new framework through which to evaluate our lives.
Instead of simply asking:
What do I want?
We begin asking:
Does this look like Jesus?
Does this reflect the Kingdom of God or the priorities of the world?
Is this motivated by self-sacrificial love or self-interest?
Those questions can transform the way we approach discernment.
How Can I Discern God's Will for My Life?
Romans 12 suggests that discerning God's will isn't primarily about waiting for a mysterious sign.
It is about becoming the kind of person whose thinking has been increasingly shaped by Christ.
Paul gives us practical ways to examine whether that transformation is happening. Romans 12 asks us to consider whether our love is genuine, whether we cling to what is good, whether we remain patient and constant in prayer, whether we care for people in need, whether we bless those who oppose us, and whether we overcome evil with good.
These aren't abstract theological ideas. They give us a picture of a life shaped by Jesus.
When you're trying to determine what God wants you to do, Scripture gives you something against which you can test your choices.
Does this decision help me love God and my neighbor?
Does it require humility or feed my pride?
Does it reflect Christ's sacrificial love or primarily serve my own self-interest?
Can I pursue this while remaining faithful to what God has already revealed in Scripture?
The goal isn't simply to receive an answer. It's to have our thinking transformed so that we increasingly recognize what resembles Christ.
What Does It Mean to Be a Living Sacrifice?
The phrase can sound strange to modern ears.
A sacrifice is normally something that dies. Paul instead calls Christians to become living sacrifices.
Fr. Michael connects this idea with the Eucharistic prayer at St. Dunstan's. As we remember Christ's sacrifice and pray for the Holy Spirit's transforming work, we also pray:
“Form us into the likeness of Christ and make us a perfect offering in your sight.”
The Christian life is one of continual transformation into the likeness of the One who gave himself for us.
Being a living sacrifice means offering our lives for the good of others because Christ first offered himself for us.
And that can radically change what we mean when we ask, “What does God want me to do?”
Start With What God Has Already Shown You
Sometimes we become so focused on discovering God's specific plan for the future that we overlook what he has already revealed about how his people should live.
Romans 12 gives us somewhere practical to begin.
Read the chapter slowly. Examine your own life alongside it.
Where are you seeking your own interests rather than serving others?
Where do you need greater humility?
Is your love genuine?
Are you constant in prayer?
Can you bless someone who has hurt you?
Would you care for an enemy who was hungry or thirsty?
Do you believe evil is ultimately overcome by good?
Those questions may reveal areas where our thinking still needs to be transformed.
And that transformation is not something any Christian finishes overnight. As Fr. Michael says, “I need that transformation. You need that transformation. We all need that transformation.”
When You Don't Know What God Wants
If you're wondering what God wants you to do, you don't have to begin by searching for a hidden answer.
Begin by allowing God to reshape the way you think.
Spend time in Scripture. Learn the story of Jesus. Pray. Worship with the Church. Look carefully at the life of Christ and allow his life, death, resurrection, and ascension to become the framework through which you understand your own life.
Then, as decisions arise, you can increasingly ask:
Does this look like Jesus?
Romans 12 reminds us that Christian discernment isn't merely about finding God's will. It's about being transformed into people capable of recognizing and living it.
At St. Dunstan's Anglican Church in Largo, Florida, we believe following Jesus is a lifelong process of being formed into his likeness. If you're looking for a church where you can grow in Scripture, worship, prayer, and Christian community, we invite you to join us.