Whenever we face difficult choices or are forced to make big decisions, most Christians wrestle with the idea of “God’s will.” If we believe God is the ultimate Creator who designed us and has a specific plan for our lives, it seems wise to seek His direction in these kinds of decisions. However, this can also be a frustrating process, since we rarely audibly hear direct answers from God about day-to-day issues we face.

Still, we want to walk in alignment with God’s plan for our lives, and the Bible is full of examples and invitations to bring our cares and our requests to God (1 Peter 5:7). So, if you’re in a season where you’re seeking direction about God’s will for your life, here are a few things that may be helpful.

What is God’s Will?
 
Before we get too far, there is one important distinction to make about different types of God’s will. First, there is a principle called God’s “general will,” or sometimes called His revealed or perceptive will. This general plan is universal—the same for everyone on earth. There are certain behaviors and characteristics that God outlines throughout Scripture that are wise for all of us to follow to live a successful and God-fearing life. For example, all of us should love our enemies (Matthew 5:44), follow the Ten Commandments, and strive toward daily devotion with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 even specifically instructs us to “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you.” These kinds of things will always be God’s will for all of us.

When we talk about seeking God’s will, we’re often talking about the second type of God’s will, often referred to as God’s “specific will.” Here we’re talking about… well, specific things God has planned for individuals or groups of people. These things are personalized and tailored to each person’s life circumstances, calling, and context. Scripture teaches that God has had a plan for your life long before you were born (Ephesians 2:10), and He gave you specific talents and placed you in a specific time and place to make those things possible. These specific plans are not found in the Bible, because they’re unique to you.

This specific will is often a lot harder to discern. So how can we begin to discover God’s will for our individual lives? God reveals His will to us in four main ways:

• The Bible. Ok, so your specific will is not spelled out in Deuteronomy. And not even in 2 Peter. Still, in order to discover our specific will, it sure helps if you’re following God’s general will. If you’re not living the kind of life God intends for us to live, you may not be ready to address the specific pursuits He has in mind for you. Before worrying about specifics, start by becoming the type of person God can use.
  
  
• Prayer. If we believe God is who He says He is—a wise, all-powerful, and loving Father—a great way to ask for God’s will is to ask Him! James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” We have unbelievable access to the Creator of the world, and He longs to tell you what He wants you to do. Again, we rarely audibly hear direct orders from God, but some people do. And even if you don’t, regular, ongoing communication with God is the first step to learning to discern the gentle nudges that often come from…
  
  
• The Holy Spirit. If you’ve given your life to Jesus, God lives inside you. The Spirit’s job is to be our counselor, guiding us through the ups and downs we all face in life. In order to grow closer to the Spirit and learn from Him a little easier, you have to grow that relationship just like you grow any other relationship. It takes time and effort, but eventually, Christians can learn to sense the Spirit’s guiding hand in their lives, and those holy nudges can give you confidence you’re following the plans God has in store for you.
  
  
• Other People. There’s a good reason why a lot of lawyers and politicians study history; when we look back on our lives and the examples of others, we often pick up on trends. You’ve probably heard the popular line that history repeats itself. This is true sometimes, but the truth may be closer to a line made famous quote from Mark Twain: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes.” Historical figures or even your own friends and family may not have experienced the exact same thing you’re currently facing, but odds are they have faced something similar. Wise people seek counsel from others (Proverbs 11:14), especially if you have close friends or family who are also followers of Jesus. Not only do they have a decent idea of God’s general will, but they also know you. Sometimes we need an objective outsider who can look at our lives and point out things we may be blind to. Just like you can often give good advice to your friends, they likely have helpful input for you as well.

 
In the end, searching for God’s specific will for your life can feel daunting and often frustrating. You likely won’t pass a billboard on your drive home today that explicitly tells you what to do about your career or who to marry. (If you do see that billboard, maybe take it with a grain of salt. That seems sketchy.)

Still, if you move forward with patience and trust, in time—with the guidance of the Spirit and advice from other people—it is possible to follow the plan God has in store for you. Keep searching, and make sure you start from a place of living within God’s general will.

Let’s end with some comforting words from Matthew 7 about what we’re told to do when we have requests or questions for God:
 
7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

God longs to give you direction and peace. Keep asking, and He will answer.

The word “Christian” means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. According to a 2019 survey from Pew Research, around 65% of Americans identified as “Christian,” but specific beliefs and practices can vary dramatically to any people group that makes up two-thirds of a very large nation.

One of the biggest subsets of Christians in American is Catholics, with other Christians falling into a group called Protestants (basically, non-Catholics). These groups share several key beliefs, including the baseline belief in Jesus Christ and his teachings. They both believe in the divinity of Jesus, as well as the idea that his death and resurrection provide forgiveness of sins. Both groups teach out of the Bible, most churches have weekly gatherings, and they hold similar views on theological concepts like the Trinity.

However, there are also several key differences between Catholics and Protestants. Here are a few of the big ones.

Authority
 
Catholics believe in a more centralized form of leadership, found mainly in the Pope. The Pope is considered the highest authority in all matters related to faith and morals. He is seen as the direct successor of Saint Peter, and Catholics believe he has been given unique authority to interpret and teach from the Scriptures. There is also a term known as “papal infallibility,” which refers to the belief that the Pope’s teaching is infallible, divinely protected from error by the Holy Spirit. Beyond his teaching roles, he is also a symbolic pastor for the millions of people around the world who follow the Catholic tradition. He is seen as a unifying leader who ties all Catholics together.

Protestants, on the other hand, place a higher value on the authority of the Bible. They view the Scriptures as the ultimate guide for faith and practice, and there really isn’t one key leader of the various denominations represented. Instead, individual Protestants are encouraged to study the Scriptures themselves, with the belief that they can learn and grow their own personal faith through reading the Bible, praying, and pursuing the guidance from the Holy Spirit. Pastors, preachers, and teachers are expected to guide their congregations, but there is less of a hierarchy of centralized leaders with unique gifts or perspectives given only to those in authority.

Salvation
 
Again, both Catholics and Protestants believe Jesus offers salvation and has the ability to forgive sins, but specifics beyond this bring some key differences. Catholicism teaches that salvation is a cooperative process, where in addition to faith in Jesus, individuals are also required to perform good works and participate in at least some of the seven “sacraments” of the faith. For example, most Catholics practice “confession,” where parishioners confess their sins to a priest in order to receive forgiveness from God.

For Protestants, salvation is achieved through faith in Jesus alone. Once you’ve accepted Jesus and his offer for salvation, there is nothing more expected of you to “earn” right standing with God. These churches stress the importance of a personal, growing, daily relationship with Jesus, with less of a need for specific practices or interactions with leadership to begin or maintain your Christian faith.

Baptism
 
Most Catholics practice infant baptism, typically through pouring or sprinkling water on the child. Parents perform this sacrament with the goal of incorporating the child into the church from an early age. They believe the act of baptism cleanses them from sin and unites the child with Christ, officially becoming part of the Catholic church and faith upon the ceremony. They also view baptism as necessary for salvation.

Some Protestant churches practice infant baptism, while others prefer “believer’s baptism,” where the individual must be old enough to personally confess their own, individual faith in Jesus (and not just their parents’). While baptism is important and encouraged, it is not considered “required,” and is instead more of a symbolic act where they publicly and outwardly express their internal commitment to follow Jesus. Some protestant churches practice sprinkling or pouring, while many choose to “immerse,” inspired by the story of Jesus being baptized by John in the Bible.
 
Worship

There is a lot of variety in the style of music and teaching you’ll find in various Christian church services, but most Catholic services look and feel quite a bit different from Protestant services. Catholic services, referred to as “mass,” place a high significance on liturgy and ritual. There are often prescribed prayers, readings, and the practice of the Eucharist (also referred to as The Lord’s Supper or Communion) that feel more formal and traditional.

Protestant churches can be formal, but many are more casual and have a more diverse approach to worship. Some churches prefer more traditional music with hymns and older songs, while others have more modern worship music led by bands. The teaching is often focused on practical application of the Bible and personal expression of faith.
 
Other notable differences include the “Apocrypha,” a handful of books found in the Catholic Bible that are not considered Scripture by Protestants; the practice of Sacraments; and the role of Mary and the saints.
 
Both “Christian”?
 
All of these differences often lead to a fair question: Are Catholics really “Christian”? Catholics certainly consider themselves Christian, based on their belief in the saving nature of Jesus. But what do Protestants say?

This can get tricky, but here’s the bottom line: Protestants believe Jesus alone offers salvation from our sins. A common phrase from these believers is, “There’s nothing we can do to make Jesus love us more, and there’s nothing we can do to make him love us less.” Upon accepting Jesus as Savior, there’s nothing more to earn or do. You don’t have to say a certain number of prayers or perform certain duties to remain in relationship with Jesus. Jesus alone saves.

So, many Protestants would say Catholics can be “Christian,” depending on how they view salvation. Some Catholics would say Jesus alone saves, and all of the additional sacraments and rituals are simply traditions that help them live out their faith. However, some Catholics may believe the acts of confession and other rituals associated with sacraments are necessary for salvation, and that would cross a line that many Protestants would have trouble embracing.

Within the Protestant branch of Christianity, there are hundreds—possibly thousands—of separate denominations, with faith traditions like Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Mennonites, etc. All of these groups share many beliefs in common, but they also hold differences that are important to them.

The same can be said about Catholics. If they accept Jesus as their Savior and live out the teachings of Scripture, they’re certainly considered “Christians.” If they lean more on tradition, ritual, and duty to try to earn salvation, that would not fall within the Protestant definition.
 
But here’s another important thing to remember: There are many verses throughout Scripture that encourage believers to be unified and at peace with each other, so that’s a worthwhile goal for all of us to pursue. It’s healthy and good for us to find a local church that fits the specifics of what we believe about God, and to also extend grace to those around us with views that differ from ours.

A term that is super common in Christianity but also incredibly hard to understand is “The Trinity.” You’ve probably heard this word used to describe how God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all one God–three distinctive parts, but somehow still just one Being.

This is important, because Christianity is what we call a monotheistic religion–mono meaning “one,” theism meaning God. Many ancient faiths included many “lower case g” gods, each with distinctive qualities, roles, and personalities, but we believe the monotheistic God of the Bible is the one true God.

One important fact about the trinity: the word “trinity” doesn’t actually appear in the Bible. The ancient writers of our scriptures were clear and adamant about mentioning and describing the three persons of God, but the explanation of the Trinity as we know it now wasn’t spelled out in the letters found in the Bible. However, church leaders as early as 100-200 AD were beginning to formulate the terminology we use today.

We’ll explain why this concept is so important, but first–who are these three persons? What makes them different, and what are their qualities?

God the Father

Let’s start with God the Father. The Father is the source of all life. He empowers us to live and move and be. In our world today, the word “father” has some baggage, because some of us had dads that weren’t the best. On earth, sometimes dads (and moms and everyone else for that matter) let us down. Maybe they have tempers or make bad decisions or don’t love us the way they should have. Maybe you don’t have a good relationship with your dad, or maybe you’ve never even met him. That’s not the Father we’re talking about. God the Father, at His core, is good. Like a good and healthy and loving adoptive dad, He chose you and sacrificed a lot to bring you into His family. God the Father is a planner–and from the beginning, He put into motion a plan that sent His only Son into the world to save it–to save us. And He also sent the Spirit, an encouraging presence to guide us through the world He created. God the Father is creative and loving, and his all-knowing self is the perfect and only place to put our trust as his plan unfolds.

Jesus the Son

Jesus the Son may be the easiest part of the Trinity to understand, because we have the most in common with Him. In a way we can’t really understand, Jesus–like the Father and Spirit–has always existed. He was God long before that silent night in Bethlehem, and the Bible teaches Jesus was involved with the creation of the world. There are two really big ideas to understand about Jesus.

First, because He is God, He was able to live a perfect life during His time on earth. He was tempted, he was injured, he understood pain, he grieved and experienced all of the emotions we feel, but He never succumbed to sin. Because of that sinless life, He was the only being acceptable to be a sacrifice on behalf of our sin. Jesus was uniquely qualified to free us from the penalties we all deserve because of the wrong things we do. Because of his sacrifice, his death, and his resurrection, we have hope for eternal life with God.

But here’s another interesting thing about Jesus: The way He lived his life on earth gives us a template and a glimpse into God’s heart for humanity. He was God–the ultimate king and ruler of all–which makes his habits and choices on earth really peculiar. Instead of pursuing influence or fame, Jesus was far more concerned with befriending the poor. He was always on the lookout for the outsider. He cared for the sick and the injured, passionately spoke about peace and justice, and boldly held those in power accountable for their corruption.

There’s really no doubt in the academic community that Jesus was a real person. And whether you call yourself a Christian or not, it’s nearly impossible to argue with the teachings of Jesus. He was a peaceful revolutionary, turning the world upside down by His servant leadership. And because of His sacrifice, He is worthy of our worship.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is hard to understand. Spirits are invisible–you can’t touch or see or smell or audibly hear a spirit, which is hard for our 21st century brains to accept. If you’ve been around the church at all, you’ve probably heard the phrase “Ask God into your heart.” That’s a weird phrase Christians use that doesn’t really have anything to do with your blood vessels, but you probably get the intention. When you invite God to be a part of your life, that God–that thing you feel guiding you–that’s the Holy Spirit.

In one sense, this is the most personal part of the Trinity, because He interacts with us all the time. The Spirit convicts us when we sin, but He also encourages us when we’re down. You’ve probably heard of the Fruit of the Spirit–specific qualities that true God-followers should strive toward–things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Those good qualities are things the Spirit longs to give you, and His wisdom guides you through each unique struggle you face.

He also distributes gifts–those talents and qualities you have that make you uniquely you–those came from the Spirit, and He longs to show you how to use them to make your greatest impact in the world. When we’re healthy, we can slowly learn to feel His guiding hand in our lives, and His voice and His nudging are worth following.

So What?

So these three persons of God–they are separate, but they’re one. Ever since those early 100 AD days of people explaining this idea, we’ve tried to come up with analogies to help us wrap our minds around the concept of the Trinity. Maybe you’ve heard some of them–things like a three-leaf clover, or water–expressed as gas, liquid, and solid, or even an egg, with its shell, white, and yoke. But all of these fall short eventually. Take the analogy a step or two beyond that surface level and it really doesn’t work. The truth is–our little brains can’t fully understand this concept. Just like there are things in science or nature or technology that our brains can’t comprehend, the same is true about faith. Maybe that bothers you, or maybe it doesn’t. If you really want to understand the Trinity, keep studying, and maybe you’ll get some good answers. At the end of the day, God is mysterious, and maybe that’s best. Gods that are easy to understand probably aren’t worth following.

Here’s the biggest thing to remember: This monotheistic three-in-one God that is definitely not an egg or water–the three parts have distinctive characteristics, but they’re joined by at least one defining quality: Love. The Bible is clear that God isn’t just love as a verb; God is love as a noun. Not an analogy, but a synonym. All three parts are loving, and that love drives everything–everything in the Bible, everything in history, everything in your life. That’s who God is, and that’s what separates Him from the gods described in other faiths. The Christian God is both big and awe-inspiring and powerful in heaven, but He’s also humble and sacrificial and a peaceful underdog hanging out with the homeless. He created the world and has the grand schematics of time in His hand, but He’s also inside you, guiding and encouraging and developing you. No other God does all of those things, and no other god is really God at all. There’s only one–in three parts. He is love. He is good. And He invites you to follow Him.