Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will

One of the most inspirational books I've read that stays fully grounded in scripture. It takes a uniquely talented pastor-theologian to write with originality in a way that stays true to the timeless wisdom of God's word. I am not as young as I imagine Dr. DeYoung's target audience is intended to be (31M), and yet I still face massive life choices on a regular basis. This was a real encouragement in the face of those choices. Kevin did a good thing with this one!

Such a great book! Super helpful as my husband and I decide our next steps in life! We now often will just say “we need to just do something” !!

Very readable, excellent exploration of a common question, "how do I know God's will?" Dispels many falsehoods concerning the ubiquitous search for special revelation, pointing instead to wisdom from Scripture, enlightenment by God's Spirit, and dependence on the God of creation, who designed us with the capability to make good decisions by His power.

This short, yet tremendously helpful and practical book is about God’s will. It may also be the sanctified kick-in-the-pants some folks need to jolt them out of a fruitless cycle of indecision and hesitancy. How so? Because the reader will learn a biblical approach to discerning God’s will for their life. With said approach what is evident is that there is a bias toward action; as a result (as the title suggests), the reader is compelled to “take some responsibility, make a decision, and just do something.” This advice is given cognizant that many in Christian circles believe that wavering between opinions and wandering through life are marks of spiritual sensitivity. Sadly, meandering cowardice has been spiritualized so that it feels like piety instead of passivity. This is not a biblical approach to Christ-like living as DeYoung makes clear that nowhere in the Bible will you find a command that Christians figure out God’s secret will before doing something. So, on the one hand, we are free to ask God for wisdom. On the other hand, the Lord never burdens us with the task of divining His will of direction ahead of time. This advice is especially helpful for our decisions that have lasting consequences (e.g. work and marriage) as well as all the multitude of non-moral decisions we make in everyday life. Yes, God has a plan for all of His children, but He is not going to tell us that plan before it unfolds. What God does do is give us brains, and a Book full of guidance so that we can take risks for Him. Living God’s will is living a life saturated in wisdom which compels us not to ask to know the future but instead how we are to live right now according to His Word. So, “just do something” means living for God with the confidence that you are walking in the will of God.

“Just Do Something” is a well-crafted, weighty, wise and sometimes witty book designed to help God’s people better understand God’s will. It distinguishes between “God’s secret will (or will of decree), God’s revealed will (will of desire) and God’s will for our lives (will of direction). God’s will of decree is his secret will, ordained from all of time–a will that is going to come to pass and that no man can thwart. God’s will of desire is his will as revealed in Scripture–a will we sometimes obey and at other times disobey. God’s will of direction is the one that answers those questions we have about jobs and spouses and houses and all the rest.” Here’s the real heart of the matter, according to DeYoung. “Does God have a secret will of direction that He expects us to figure out before we do anything? And the answer is no.” He adds, “Trusting in God’s will of decree is good. Following His will of desire is obedient. Waiting for God’s will of direction is a mess. It is bad for your life, harmful to your sanctification, and allows too many Christians to be passive tinkerers who strangely feel more spiritual the less they actually do.” This book is a good manual for helping to clean up that mess.

DeYoung's delightful book is a source of fresh air and clarity in a confused Christian world that tries to hyper-spiritualize our lives and to strain for whispers from God to make sure we are "in God's will." I have seen too many times when people are overcome with stress and/or guilt as they desperately try to discern a hidden will of God as to what they should do with their lives. DeYoung's book provides a Biblical answer that is freeing in its simplicity. DeYoung is a brilliant writer with a great ability to make challenging concepts easy to understand, and to do so with a bit of whimsy that makes this book a joy to read. I have probably purchased this book a dozen times for others as it makes a great gift for Christian high school or college graduates.

Wonderful quick read! Highly recommend to every young adult and their parent.

Good advice, You will never go wrong when you follow the Golden Rule. Do Unto others as you would want them to do unto you. Follow God.

Just buy it. It's short but very helpful. Readable and approachable. I've put it in the hands of all Christian youth that I know. His premise is simple: the desire to know God's will might sometimes come from an unhealthy desire to know the future but God gave us "sanctified common sense" (his words) to make decisions. Buy it if you're still confused by mainstream Christianity's craze around knowing God's will.

The truth does set us free. This book by Ps. Kevin has been a blessing. It’s a must read for all Christians desiring to know God’s will for their lives.

Kevin DeYoung erörtert sehr präzise das Problem der heutigen Generation und hilft uns den Fokus auf den Willen Gottes für unser Leben zu setzen. Was ist Gott am wichtigsten für mein Leben? Welche Person soll ich heiraten? Und wie sieht es mit der Berufswahl aus? Ein Buch das biblische Antworten liefert und dabei ganz nüchtern ist.

I’ve recommended and given this book on God’s guidance to so many people; it is clear, biblical and wonderfully short. Kevin de Young has done a brilliant and brilliantly concise job demystifying and applying the enormous truth of God’s sovereignty for ordinary Christians. If you are a Christian struggling with understanding how God’s sovereignty intersects with your agency or trying to make a big decision, this book will help you think and act in a godly way in the context of God’s character and guidance. It’s wonderfully biblical, practical and non-mystical. It’s even quite funny in parts and as the author puts it - it is wonderfully liberating when it comes to the fearfulness so many of us feel especially around big decisions. If you are exploring Christianity, this is also a great book to read in terms of learning about the character of God and how living in relationship with him through Jesus wonderfully impacts and can liberate the way in which you make decisions in your everyday life.

A small book, but an excellent read. Good for high school students trying to decide what to do with their lives after high schoo, but also a good read at any stage of life. Helps us to remember God has a plan for us, but we still have to make decisions and take action in faith.