What Does the Will of God Actually 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. And from another perspective, doing the will of God is the progressive spiritual experience of becoming more Godlike.

The will of God is not a set of rigid laws or a 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 or steal.

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 a positive and dynamic approach to morality and spirituality because God is the Source of all that is good and true.

The sacred way is divine truth. It’s living spontaneously in the spirit—a genuine spiritual life that forever adapts to changing circumstances.

The way of God is a way of becoming more like your inner Spirit. You begin to identify with this Spirit—which is the presence of God within you. It’s a goal attained by making choices that are in harmony with the reality of the spirit realm and thereby becoming attuned to the spirit way. And one of the most effective means of identifying with spirit is to intimately share your inner life with the Spirit of God within you—to live consciously in the presence of God.

Start the mental process by putting your creative imagination to good use. Imagine a friendly and loving version of God—a spirit entity living within you and guiding you. Infuse this divine persona with the highest ideals and the most advanced values you can imagine; create a supreme being who is all-good, all-wise, all-loving, and all-powerful. By sharing your inner life with this animated divine being, whether in thought, speech, or action, you approach a God-conscious life.

Visualizing the reality of a holy and affectionate presence is a technique used to align with the truth of the Spirit existing within you. Don’t be concerned if, at first, your creation seems fictitious. Through all your imaginings, your mind and soul will soon come to recognize the very real presence of your inner Spirit. See Creative Imagination as a Spiritual Technique.

Few of us get to a point in our spiritual experience where we can directly communicate with our indwelling Spirit. Nonetheless, we can still commune with God through meditation, prayer, and worship. 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 you might think. If you start with the basics of morality, it is likely you already know what you should not do. You know it’s not a right choice to lie, to harm others, to be angry, rude, or deceitful. And you know this because your Spirit Guide is always telling you what you should do—it’s a positive and progressive approach.

By focusing on divine attributes—the true nature of God—the will of God becomes clear because the divine nature of God is just, fair, loving, beautiful, good, and true.

In all your decisions, begin by evaluating your responses using these and other divine values and then guide your actions accordingly. Change your way of thinking and bring yourself into harmony with the will of God by keeping these values in mind and by being forever loyal to an eternal Source that is all-wise, all-good, and all-loving. See Four Divine Values as a guide.

The Golden Rule is a Powerful Technique

A beneficial and powerful frame of mind is the golden rule. Indeed, when it comes to any and all social interactions, there can be no greater guide in life than the positive injunction of the golden rule, especially when interpreted on advanced levels of spiritual comprehension. It brings out the best in you because you begin to consider your actions from a more objective point of view. It’s your 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 you 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 you do in life as how you do it.

At other times, you may need to make serious decisions in dire situations, ones that can arise 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 your personal experience, knowledge, and wisdom—and sometimes a little help from others.

But in every case, you can better evaluate solutions with reason, logic, meditation, mindfulness, prayer, and reflection. Approach your problems with patience, thinking them through as much as you can, sharing them with God, and then sitting in silence to receive spiritual guidance (see Divine Problem Solving).

Making spiritual and moral choices is a powerful method of personal transformation. Every decision you make determines the path and the outcome of your life. And whenever you make decisions that agree with the will of God—cooperating with Spirit life—you enhance your soul powers and become more spiritually real. Never doubt that God wants you to succeed in this endeavor, and your steadfast faith in his divine goodness is the sure path to success.