Standing In Your Place: Finding God's Will for Your Life
Bob Yandian
David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep (Acts 13:36).
What a powerful summary of a life well lived. David fulfilled God’s purpose in his time and then entered his eternal reward. That’s not just a testimony about David—it’s a calling for every believer.
After salvation, we remain on earth for a purpose. We are here to serve our generation by the will of God. Yet many Christians, even after years of faithful church attendance and good works, still wonder, “Why am I here?” or “Am I really doing what God wants?”
You are not alone if you have asked those questions. Even as a young man in college, I wrestled with them. It wasn’t until my junior year at Oklahoma State University that the Lord spoke clearly to me about His plan for my life. From that moment, I pursued teaching the Word. My journey took me to Rhema Bible Training Center as an instructor and later dean of instructors. From there, God led me to pastor Grace Fellowship in Tulsa for 33 years.
I’ve discovered something over the years: many Christians are eager to serve but frustrated by a lack of direction. Some pray for guidance but feel they only encounter silence from heaven. Others busy themselves with good works but question if they are truly fulfilling their calling.
Let me assure you—the will of God is not hidden. It may take time to recognize, but God’s method for revealing His plan is open and available to every believer.
The Simplicity of God’s Call
Whether you’re seeking your calling, a spouse, or God’s plan for the next stage of life, the process is remarkably consistent. From Genesis to Revelation, the same pattern appears again and again.
First, get to work.
Second, go to sleep (rest in faith).
Third, God will create His plan for you.
Fourth, God will bring His plan to you.
It’s simple, yet profound. And it works because it is God’s way.
Working: The Pathway to Discovery
My father pastored three small churches during my childhood. He was a hardworking man who balanced ministry with a full-time job to provide for our family. Sadly, many in the congregations believed the pastor should do all the work of the ministry while they watched from the pews.
Eventually, we moved to a large interdenominational church in Tulsa where I witnessed something different—people helping people. Volunteers taught children, cared for the sick, and served in countless ways. This church flourished because members embraced their role as workers in God’s house.
Years later, the Lord called Loretta and me to help pioneer another church. Once again, we saw growth, maturity, and joy among people who served faithfully. Those who volunteered were not just building the church—they were being prepared for God’s greater purpose in their lives.
Your service in the local church is not busywork. It is training for your destiny.
Faithfulness Precedes Promotion
During my 33 years pastoring Grace Fellowship, I saw many volunteers step into full-time ministry. Evangelists, teachers, missionaries, pastors—all began as faithful helpers.
Some might ask, “Why does God take my best workers?” I asked the Lord that very question more than once. His answer? “Which would you rather have—a hundredfold return on a faithful servant or the same return on a troublemaker?”
I learned to rejoice as God promoted faithful volunteers into greater fields of ministry. Their faithfulness in little things positioned them for larger responsibilities, just as Stephen and Philip in Acts 6 were promoted after faithfully serving tables.
Finding a Marriage Partner—God’s Way
The same principles apply to finding a spouse. Adam worked before God brought him Eve. He didn’t wander the Garden of Eden searching for a mate. He fulfilled his assignment—tending the Garden and naming the animals.
When the time was right, God provided a wife and brought her to him.
Work. Rest. Trust God to provide and deliver His perfect plan into your life.
Loretta and I met while working in the church choir. I wasn’t looking for a wife—I was working in God’s house. At the right time, God brought her to me. We heard the Lord confirm our relationship and have served together ever since.
Quit telling God what you want. Trust Him to give you what He knows you need.
The Making of a Successful Church—and a Successful Life
A successful church is not built on money, buildings, or popularity. It is built on people helping people. That’s how churches grow strong. And that’s how individuals grow into their callings.
The same is true for your personal life. When you serve faithfully, you are not only helping others—you are positioning yourself for God’s next step in your life.
God’s plan for your life will not come while you sit idly, waiting for a supernatural revelation. It will come as you work, serve, and rest in faith.
Resting: Trusting God’s Timing
The second step—go to sleep—is just as important as working. Once you have committed to serve, stop worrying about the outcome.
Just as Adam rested while God fashioned Eve, you must trust the Lord to shape His perfect plan while you remain faithful to today’s assignments.
Some believers stay up late at night worrying about their calling or frustrated because their timetable isn’t being met. Let me encourage you: God’s promises will come to pass. Rest in His Word and His timing.
God’s Custom Plan for You
While you work and rest, God is crafting a unique plan for your life.
Your calling may resemble someone else’s, but it will be uniquely fitted to your personality, gifts, and destiny. Eve was made from Adam’s rib, but she was distinct and designed perfectly for him.
Likewise, God may begin with a common calling—teaching, missions, worship leading—but He will shape it into something tailor-made for you.
No one else can fulfill your assignment like you.
God Will Bring His Plan to You
When the time is right, God will unveil His plan. You won’t have to strive or search desperately. You won’t need to chase after every prophecy or conference.
God knows where you are. He will find you working.
Jesus found the disciples fishing and collecting taxes. David was watching sheep. Gideon was threshing wheat. Elisha was plowing. Moses was tending Jethro’s flocks.
They weren’t in prayer closets begging for direction. They were working.
God called them while they were doing something useful.
A Word About Prayer
Yes, prayer is essential. It sensitizes your heart to recognize God’s voice when He speaks. Praying in the Holy Spirit—especially praying in tongues—reduces the noise of the world so you can hear the still, small voice of God more clearly.
But prayer alone, without action, will not bring God’s will to pass. You must be working while you pray.
The Joy of Fulfillment
Years ago, a young man in our church declined a small photography job because he was “waiting for God to open the door to the mission field.” I advised him that faithfulness in small things leads to promotion. Reluctantly, he agreed and served as our church photographer for three years.
When the door to Eastern Europe opened, he was ready—not just in skill, but in character and spiritual maturity. Today, he and his family continue to serve faithfully overseas.
God’s will is not something you achieve. It’s something you receive through faithfulness.
Your Unique Impact
God broke the mold when He made you. Quit comparing your calling to others. You will affect the world in a way no one else can.
Your greatest fulfillment is not just in finding God’s will, but in serving others while trusting Him to reveal it.
At the right time, His plan will find you!
