Are you asking God a question about a relationship desire you have? Or perhaps you are wondering if the relationship you are in right now is pleasing to the Lord? Or maybe you want to pursue singleness but you are unsure if God would rather you pursue marriage?
Whether it be a relationship, a career decision, or a personal situation that no one but you could relate to, we all want to know God’s will.
Therefore, here are 3 signs that often mean God is saying, “I approve.”
1. If This Is an Issue that Is Not Directly Mentioned in the Bible but Your Conscience Is Clear and You Are Walking in the Christian Faith, Oftentimes God Is Saying, “I Approve”
When you read through Romans 14, Paul is giving people advice on how to best proceed when there are varying opinions. For example, he says things like:
- “ . . . don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables.” (Romans 14:1-2, NLT).
- “In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable.” (Romans 14:5, NLT)
- “But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.” (Romans 14:23, NLT)
The principle Paul is laying out here is that we must do what we feel is most honoring to the Lord when there are debatable issues.
Thus, if there is no clear command forbidding you from pursuing this thing you are thinking about or if there is no biblical reason for why God would not approve of it, and if your conscience is clear, this probably means that God approves.
2. If the General Consensus Among Other Wise Christians Is that God Would Approve, Oftentimes This Is a Sign that God Really Does Approve
I believe everything I said in point 1 of this article is true. However, I also believe that as fallen creatures, we are prone to trick ourselves into doing what we want to do even when there may be very valid reasons not to do that. This is why it is so helpful to have other people in your life to help confirm or deny the wisdom of proceeding forward on a particular matter (Proverbs 11:4, Proverbs 12:15, Galatians 6:1-5).
Even if you don’t have someone to help you through a situation, sometimes it can help to step outside of yourself (so to speak) and ask yourself something like, “If my friend was in the exact same situation as me and they were sharing these details with me, what objective advice would I give them?” Sometimes by removing the emotions and imagining what others would say who are not involved, you can see the truth of the matter for yourself.
Lastly, when it comes to following God through the help of others, you can also gain a lot of wisdom by looking at what other mature Christians have done. It might feel like your situation is unique to you, but it’s rare to actually find yourself in a situation like that. Many times the relationship questions, career concerns, or personal issues are things that most people go through at some point in life. By asking others and observing how they have handled it, you can find a lot of godly wisdom.
As Paul said, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
3. If You’ve Got God’s Word on It, God Is Saying, “I Approve”
God is never silent when your Bible is open. He certainly speaks to us in many ways besides the Scriptures, but as Christians we must always prayerfully go to the Scriptures on every question we have.
Sometimes it feels like God is quiet because he has already spoken. He often won’t repeat himself when we’ve already ignored his plain, written word on the page, visible to the naked eye. If we ignore his written instructions, why would he then trust us to obey an instruction given to us in a more elaborate or miraculous way (Luke 16:31)?
What does God’s word say? What verse supports your desire? What example in Scripture can you emulate? What pattern among the saints can you try to repeat in your own life? What principle can give you the direction you need?
James 1:25, “But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”
Related Article: 3 Signs God Approves of a Relationship
