We obey and observe. But first let’s restructure the question. What we really need to ask is, “What is God’s plan?” or “What is God’s will?” and leave the words “my life” out of it. Asking it this way puts the focus on God’s plan, or God’s will, and not on “my life”. Living the Christian life is about adjusting our lives to what God is already doing. We obey what we know, look for Him at work, and then join Him as we are led by the Holy Spirit. Philippians 1:6 tells us that God has begun a work in us and wants to complete it. That work is sanctification; He is making us more like His Son Jesus. Remember that God created you as spirit, soul, and body; three parts that make up a whole you. God wants to connect with you in each facet. Once we become Christians, we connect with God spiritually through our prayer lives (1 Thessalonians 5:17); we connect with Him mentally through the study, meditation, and memorization of His Word (2 Timothy 2:15, Psalm 119:11 & 15); and we connect with Him physically through acts of service and worship (Hebrews 10:24-25). As we obediently live our lives fully connected to Him, we begin to hear His voice more clearly and see Him at work more vividly. When we see Him at work, and we are fully connected to Him, we will know by the leadership of His Holy Spirit within us what to do next. In the meantime, we are to be patient as we obey and observe. The full circle of “obedience to God, love for God, love from God, and revelation from God” is found in John 14:21: “He who has My commandments and keeps them [obedience to] is he who loves Me [love for]. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him [love from] and manifest Myself to him [revelation that leads to more obedience].” Obedience + observance = knowing God’s will.
