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We find understanding of God’s plan for our lives in three core words found in the New Testament:
Purpose
“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11, ESV, emphasis added).
Call
“Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1, emphasis added).
Will
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God…” (Ephesians 1:1, emphasis added).
In the original New Testament context, the word “purpose” implies a firm resolution and a blueprint. “Call” carries the weight of a personal invitation. And “will” refers to God’s deep desire—what He longs to see happen —and His desires become our desires as we walk with Jesus.
Okay, let’s take a temporary break from this theological deep dive and consider something frustrating: over 50 years of talking with people about faith, I have found that roughly 85 percent of believers cannot clearly define God’s purpose, calling, or will for their lives.
That’s correct—85 percent! This means most people who claim to follow Jesus don’t clearly see the narrow path they are supposed to be walking. Over the decades, I’ve routinely listened to variations of these exact frustrations:
- “I love Jesus, but I just don’t know His specific will for my life.”
- “I’ve been coming to church for 20 years and feel stuck. I don’t know what I should actually be doing as a Christian.”
- “I thought I was following God’s will, but the situation turned out terribly.”
The Greek word for “purpose” appears about 15 times in the New Testament; the word for “calling” appears about 20 times, and the word for “will” appears roughly 40 times. That is over 75 direct biblical references to God’s plan for our lives, yet most of us still lack clear definitions.
Why? Because we forget how these pieces fit together. Let’s look at the biblical definitions again:
- Purpose: God’s sovereign blueprint.
- Call: His personal invitation to join Him.
- Will: His holy desire for our lives, which becomes our desire.
We can summarize it like this: God has a master blueprint of divine intentions for your life, sends a personal invitation, and, as you accept it, changes the deepest desires of your heart to His purpose, calling, and will.
This sentence gives us the overarching understanding of God’s plan. Of course, the execution is messy. Hard questions, unexpected obstacles, and missed opportunities will always come up. Walking with God is rarely a nicely wrapped package. It behaves a lot more like a complex, “some assembly required” toy you open on Christmas morning—you have to keep going back to the instruction manual.
But you can find your footing because God is ultimately in charge. The Apostle Paul leaves us with this incredible promise:
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
If you are trying to map out your next steps, here are three practical suggestions for understanding God’s purpose, calling, and will in your daily life:
- Pray for a listening heart. God will speak to you—sometimes in a loud, undeniable moment, but more often in a quiet whisper.
- Take the step anyway. God’s will frequently requires us to take uncomfortable steps of faith on what might look like a slippery, uncertain path. Trust Him to walk with Him.
- Don’t walk alone. The narrow path was never meant to be a solo journey. Find a community or a discipler to walk alongside you.
Remember: God has the blueprint, He has issued the invitation, and when you step out in faith, you will find exactly what His heart desires for you.