I must admit that I bought this book as a bit of a joke for someone I know. Actually it was the subtitle that caught my attention – ‘How to make a decision without dreams, visions, fleeces, impressions, open doors, random bible verses, casting lots, liver shivers, writing in the sky, etc.‘ Hilarious I know, but let’s be real here – most of us have gone there at some stage in our lives. Anyway, when I bought this book I didn’t know what to expect… however when I actually read it, I was pleasantly surprised.
Kevin De Young, who is the Senior Pastor of University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan, says ‘God’s people tinker around with churches, jobs and relationships, worrying that they haven’t found God’s perfect will for their lives.’ This book isn’t hyper-spiritual like others on this topic but rather it explains a clear, biblical way to approach and discern God’s will – namely by following God’s Word and using the wisdom that God has given us. At the heart of this book is the thesis that God’s will for us is simply ‘that we live holy set apart lives’ (based on 1 Thess 4:3). This is first and foremost. Furthermore De Young says:
“So go marry someone, provided you’re equally yoked and you actually like being with each other. Go get a job, provided it’s not wicked. Go live somewhere in something with somebody or nobody. But put aside the passivity and the quest for complete fulfillment and the perfectionism and the preoccupation with the future, and for God’s sake start making some decisions in your life. Don’t wait for the liver-shiver. If you are seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, you will be in God’s will, so just go out and do something.”
De Young, Just Do Something, Pg 61
Personally, the only thing lacking in this book, was the need for more of a discussion on the role of prayer in discerning God’s will. That aside, De Young is biblically faithful in his approach in dealing with this topic and at 128 pages; this little book is a gem for all people, of all demographics.
