How do I know I am doing God's will and not my own?

[MattPerk]

How do I know my sin nature is not being selfish in doing God’s will? Sometimes I feel like I do things like go to work and try and justify it by saying I am supporting my family by going to work which is glorifying God but really why isn’t it me trying to seek fulfillment in my self purpose and also obtain more money so I can life more luxuriously?

 

[Aquinas11]

why not both

 

[HolyWarrior]

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

I would refer you to the Thomas Merton prayer (bolding mine):

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

 

[farronwolf]

If you have a family, you have an obligation to provide for them. The way you provide for them is for you to decide. If they have a safe place to live, enough food, clothing and have good quality of life mentally, you are doing what you are supposed to.

If you neglect your family needs to increase the size of your bank account, might be questionable.

There is nothing wrong with having money. The love of money becomes the problem. If you use work to purposely neglect your family or spending time with your family, might be questionable.

Only you can decide these issues.

 

[Irishmom2]

I have always liked these words in particular from Merton.

 

[Koldkf]

It sounds like you are doing the right thing by supporting your family. It depends what you do for work too. But either way if you are working hard at what you do and that supports a good cause, that is definitely God’s will. It sounds like you are living with a purpose. That is something that i want to do.