One of the most frequently asked questions in the church is, “What is God’s will for my life?”

Generally, people ask that question when they have reached a specific decision point in their lives. They need to know whether to move, get married, stay single, change jobs, or stay where they are. It’s wonderful when people want to know what God wants them to do. To be sure, God cares very much about the answers to these specific questions.

At the same time, though, the general answer to the question of God’s will has already been answered. His will for every Christian is the same—for each believer to become like Jesus. Consider Ephesians 1:3-4.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

As church leaders, we can confidently tell anyone in the congregation that this is what God wants for them—His will is for their discipleship. But even as we say that, we must recognize that discipleship isn’t something we can manufacture. Despite our efforts, intentions, and programs, the process of a person being conformed to the image of Jesus is not something we can accomplish. That work belongs to the Holy Spirit and Him alone:

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

This is an essential realization for us as church leaders. What we can’t do is the actual work of transformation. Are we able to look inside a person? Are we able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart? Are we able to change desires, tastes, and behaviors? If we think we can, we are destined to live with frustration and failure. Not only that, but our misplaced efforts also rob the Lord of His glory.

But the realization of our limitations shouldn’t make us passive. Just because we can’t do the work of transformation does not mean we can’t do anything. It might be helpful to think of it in terms of farming.

Can a farmer make it rain? Or make the sun shine? Or ensure that both occur in the right proportion at the right time? Of course not. Yet, the farmer is responsible for many other things. In other words, he is responsible for preparing the conditions he can control in advance for what he cannot.

This is what we can achieve in discipleship. We can create the right conditions, and we do that in various ways. We accomplish it through teaching, connecting people, providing resources, and empowering other leaders. All these actions aim to establish the proper environment. It’s all we can do.

In a sense, everything we do to create the right conditions represents acts of faith. We believe that God will carry out the work of discipleship transformation, and as a reflection of that belief, we establish those conditions. Then, we trust.

This article originally appeared at Church Answers.