I DARE YOU  ·  Week 3

What If God’s Plan Is Better Than Yours?

Psalm 143:10

BIG IDEA

Asking God for His will to be accomplished in our lives is the right posture to have for our lives. The One who sees the entire map is in a better position to give directions than the one who can only see a few feet ahead. God’s will isn’t something to fear — it leads to the best possible life, now and forever.

KEY VERSE

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.”  — Psalm 143:10 NLT

MAIN POINTS

God’s will is largely a mystery, but Scripture doesn’t leave us completely in the dark. Here are four clearly revealed outcomes of surrendering to God’s will:

1.  God’s Will Leads to Salvation

“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.”  — Ezekiel 18:23 NLT

“God our Savior… wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.”  — 1 Timothy 2:3–4 NLT

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”  — Matthew 28:19 NLT

The most dramatic demonstration of God’s will being good for us is salvation itself. God didn’t have to rescue anyone — but He chose to. The whole of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, is the story of God accomplishing His will to reconcile people back to Himself.

We didn’t earn salvation. We didn’t ask for it. We didn’t deserve it. But the cross was God’s will being done — at infinite cost — for our benefit. And because God is good, His will is good.

God’s will didn’t stop at providing salvation. He also commissioned His people to carry it.

Reflection: Have you fully received what God’s will already did for you? How does the reality of salvation shape the way you view surrendering to Him?

2.  God’s Will Leads to Transformation

“God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”  — Romans 8:29 NLT

“I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”  — Philippians 1:6 NLT

God loves us the way we are — but loves us too much to leave us the way we are. His will isn’t just that you believe; it’s that you become like Jesus. Your mindset, attitude, and actions are steadily shaped until they resemble Him.

You are not responsible for completing your own transformation. God started it and God will finish it.

Your role is to surrender. Your job is to stop resisting. We already know what the parts of ourselves are that God is trying to change. The question is whether we’ll let go of them.

Reflection: Where are you resisting what God is trying to change in you? What would it look like to stop holding on to that part of yourself?

3.  God’s Will Leads to Purpose

“You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.”  — Proverbs 19:21 NLT

“We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”  — Ephesians 2:10 NLT

“God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”  — Philippians 2:13 NLT

Every other plan — your plan, my plan, the world’s plan — is subject to failure in one way or another. God’s purpose is what actually prevails. And that purpose isn’t vague: He has specific good things He planned for you long ago.

God often won’t reveal the whole journey at once. But He’s working in you to give you both the desire and the capacity for what He has next. Even when the next step feels uncertain, you can trust the One leading you.

He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Reflection: Are you waiting to understand the full picture before you take the next step? What is the one step in front of you that you could surrender to God today?

4.  God’s Will Leads to Everlasting Life

“This world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”  — 1 John 2:17 NLT

“It is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”  — John 6:40 NLT

“What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.”  — Romans 8:18 NLT

The life you surrender to God’s will isn’t just better in this life — it’s better beyond it. Everything the world calls valuable has a shelf life. But what God gives doesn’t fade away.

Scripture is honest: Christians will suffer. The world is fallen, and God sometimes permits suffering to accomplish His purposes. But the suffering is a moment compared to eternity, and God will not waste your pain.

Everlasting life is what God’s will, through His whole plan, has been building toward all along.

Reflection: How does the reality of eternity change the way you hold the hard things in your life right now?

THE FOUR OUTCOMES

We may not know what God’s will looks like for every part of our lives — but we know where it leads:

• Salvation — God’s free gift of reconciliation and new life
• Transformation — He changes us at the root to look more like Jesus
• Purpose — We live out what He set aside for us to do
• Everlasting Life — A life not limited by death

We can trust Him with the rest of the details.

TAKE IT HOME

This week, dare to pray:

“Not my will, but Yours.”

Pick one of the four outcomes and commit to surrendering your will to God in that area this week.

• Transformation — stop resisting what God is trying to change
• Purpose — take the next step, even without the full picture
• Simply start here: “God, teach me to do your will. For you are my God.”  — Psalm 143:10

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