What Does the “Will of God” Mean?

The Spirit Way of Doing Things

The will of God is the way of God. It’s a way of spiritual living often celebrated as the spirit way, spirit road, spirit path, Tao, sacred way, Buddhist path, or the path to awakening.

The essential meaning behind all these expressions is that the will of God is a path of devotion to a divine Source of goodness—a high moral path of doing the right thing in all circumstances. When you share your life with God, you walk this spirit path. That’s all it takes. The will of God is your progressive spiritual experience of becoming more Godlike by actively living in the presence of God.

It’s Not a Set of Rules

The will of God is not a set of rigid laws or a strict moral code, although laws and codes may be grounded in spiritual realities. Time-honored rules of religious behavior, such as the Ten Commandments, were great starting points in the early evolution of human societies, but in the present age, it’s obvious to most of us that it’s morally wrong to lie, cheat, or steal.

Ancient moral codes often emphasize what we should not do. But the will of God is not about what is wrong; it’s about what is right. It’s about wanting to do the right thing. It’s a positive and dynamic approach to morality and spirituality because God is the Divine Source of all that is positive, good, and true.

The Sacred Way is the way of divine truth, supreme beauty, and supernal goodness. It is living spontaneously in the spirit and enjoying a genuine spiritual life that forever adapts to changing circumstances and life’s challenges.

The Way of God is thinking more and more like the Spirit Within, thereby identifying with this Spirit. We begin by sharing our inner lives with God and by making good choices in harmony with spiritual truth. It is the experience of living consciously in the dynamic presence of God.

Put your creative imagination to good use. Imagine a friendly and loving version of God—a Spirit Teacher living within you and always guiding you. Infuse this divine persona with the highest ideals and the most supreme values you can imagine; create a Supreme Being who is all-good, all-wise, all-loving, and all-powerful. And then enjoy a God-conscious life by sharing your thoughts, longings, and aspirations with this animated Divine Being.

Visualizing the holy and affectionate presence of God is a mental technique that aligns your thoughts with the Spirit of Truth because what you are imagining is real. Don’t be concerned if your creation seems fictitious at first. You will soon become aware of the very real presence of your Spirit Guide.

Read: Creative Imagination as a Spiritual Technique.

It may take a while to communicate directly with the indwelling Spirit. Nonetheless, we can still commune with God through meditation, prayer, and worship. And by doing so, we improve our future ability to receive guidance. But without any form of direct communication, the inevitable question is, how do we know the will of God? How do we know which choice is the right choice?

The good news is that knowing the way of God is not as difficult as we may at first surmise. If we start with the basics of morality, it is likely we already know what we should do. We know it’s not the right choice to lie, to harm others, to be angry, rude, or deceitful. And we know this because our Spirit Guide coaches us to speak the truth, help others, and be respectful—it’s a positive, progressive approach.

The divine nature is loving, beautiful, good, and true, and by focusing on these values, the will of God becomes clear. In all our decisions, we keep these values in mind and then guide our actions accordingly.

See Four Divine Values as a guide.

The Golden Rule as a Spiritual Benchmark

An effective benchmark for spiritual living is the Golden Rule—the will of God in action. Indeed, when it comes to any social relationship, there can be no greater guide in life than this positive injunction, especially when interpreted on advanced levels of spiritual comprehension.

Anyone with a sense of morality will recognize the truth of the Golden Rule, even those who refuse to believe in God. But we attain a deeper meaning when we consider the rule from a spiritual perspective. In its highest sense, it is treating others as a caring and compassionate Divine Being would.

The Golden Rule prompts us to consider our actions from a more objective perspective. It is a sincere attempt to understand, respect, love, and care for others by taking a God-centered approach—the loving attitude of a wise parent. If everyone were to abide by this simple rule, the entire world would be remarkably transformed.

There are times when we need to make decisions that do not concern relationships with others but instead have to do with personal problems. Knowing the will of God in these instances can be more challenging. But there is little need to wrestle too long over non-moral issues, such as choosing a career. It’s not so much what we do in life as how we do it.

Sharing Your Life with God

In difficult times, we may need to make crucial decisions, ones that come about when raising children, when holding positions of trust, or when disaster strikes. Knowing the best policy for the good of everyone concerned is not always clear or painless. Resolving these kinds of problems depends on our personal experience, knowledge, and wisdom—and sometimes a little help from others.

But in all instances, we can better evaluate solutions with reason and logic, and by sharing our problems with God through meditation, mindfulness, prayer, and reflection. To receive spiritual guidance, all we need to do is listen.

Read: Divine Problem Solving

Making spiritual choices is how we transform ourselves. Every decision we make determines the outcome of our lives. And whenever we make decisions that agree with the will of God—which is no more than cooperating with Spirit—we enhance our soul powers and become more spiritually real. Never doubt that God wants us to succeed in this endeavor.