SlapDash
Monday, October 23, 2006
I wonder...
Think of the things in life that you believe (maybe not 100% sure about yet) are God's will. Is it "God's will" because you want it sooo bad that you convince yourself that it's God's will so you can have it, or is it God's will because He has clearly illustrated to you that His hand is in all of of it? There are people in this world who believe that if the subject is in question is something that you really want, it's probably not God's will, but what about Psalm 37:4 where it says "Delight yourself in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." There is an element of surrendering to what God wants and He changes your desires; but then if there is a desire planted in your heart, is that of God or self? and How do you know? I was plagued with this question last night as I was lying in my bed and really questioning my motives in a certain area of my life. Is it possible to look at circumstances and situations leading up to a certain aspect of your life and MAKING them look as if it is God's will in your life to justify your choice and in doing so MAKING yourself believe religiously that that really is God's will without knowing that you are the one making the circumstance appear to be God's direction. And if that is possible, and you were really honestly searching for God's will wouldn't He guard you from that mistake because you are trying earnestly to walk in his paths? The answer to all these questions is to pray about it and ask God to give you peace; but can we subconsiously shut out God from the desicion even in the midst of our prayers so we can have what we want. Maybe I am confusing this entirely too much but I personally am sooo scared to declare anything "God's will" for fear of being incredibly incredibly wrong and hurting everyone involved beyond repair. Someone once told me that when you are unsure where God is directing, start working for a Goal and keep working for it until God says "NO" and I think that is the best advice I've ever gotten and I go back to it often when I am in question of what I am supposed to be doing. But what if I get soooo clouded by the goal and the goal becomes a "god" to me and I no longer hear the voice of GOD telling me when and where to step and I miss the part where God openly says "no." I guess I just have to have faith and patience-the two things in my life that I lack the most. And I have to be willing to surrender even the most passionate desires of my heart for God's will and have the faith to realize that even if God's will is what I am desiring God will bring about in a perfect way and have the patience to wait for His timing. And if God's will is something else I need to have the faith that whatever it is, it will be 100 times better than what I am desiring. Increase my faith and patience Lord.
Labels: God's will, personal, random thoughts
posted by Liberty, 7:50 AM
4 Comments:
Have you ever thought that something was God's will, only to come to find out that it completely wasn't? I understand about not wanting to say that something is God's will. So many things in life can change, and I don't think we can really know if something is God's will until it happens. Maybe God just wants us to think that certain things are God's will because God is using those situations to change things in our lives to make us ready for the thing (s) that actually ARE His will. I dunno. But I am usually pretty careful about saying that something is or is not God's will because so many times, when I think that something is God's will, He was just using that to grow me so I am ready for something even bigger and better!
The story is told of a man who knew it was God's will for him to become a teacher. He knew from childhood that it was God's Will in his life. He grew up, and felt the calling to become a missionary. He became conflicted as to what to do, which was the right thing to do. He was sure God was calling him to be a teacher, but becoming a missionary is one of God's highest callings.
Much time and energy was spent in prayer and thought. Finally, the answer came to him. It had been there from the start.
His desire to become a missionary, was not a calling from God, he had known all along what he had been called to do. While Missionary work is a good thing by itself, when it got in the way of God's Will it actually became a Sin. Imagine, doing good works all your life only to realize you had been called to do secular work all along.
Sometimes we confuse true, genuinely good things as God's Will, when in reality, these are the things that are stumbling blocks in the path we are intended to walk.
I do not know what you struggle with, just remember that even "Godly" things can be Sin in disguise. That is one lesson that has changed the way I have looked at a great many things.
Much time and energy was spent in prayer and thought. Finally, the answer came to him. It had been there from the start.
His desire to become a missionary, was not a calling from God, he had known all along what he had been called to do. While Missionary work is a good thing by itself, when it got in the way of God's Will it actually became a Sin. Imagine, doing good works all your life only to realize you had been called to do secular work all along.
Sometimes we confuse true, genuinely good things as God's Will, when in reality, these are the things that are stumbling blocks in the path we are intended to walk.
I do not know what you struggle with, just remember that even "Godly" things can be Sin in disguise. That is one lesson that has changed the way I have looked at a great many things.
Wow, *sigh* your commenet hits a little too close to home for me. But you are right although that just confuses things more because on top of a career choice there are many other issues in my life that I wish I could totally see God's will in because that which is lovely and Godly is that which I desire the most but if that which is lovely and Godly are not in-fact God's will for my life... I want no part of it. If I could totally explain my situation I would because I need help sorting out something, but there is a whole long story that I cannot share for fear of it getting out to the wrong person. *sigh* I guess the only one who can sort out my issues is the Lord and I will just have to patient for him to do so.
I'm not sure if this is for me or you or whoever...about this story...if he was not supposed to be a missionary, then he wasn't called to be a missionary. I'm not sure where this "calling" was from, but if it's not what God wants, then it's not a calling from God.
Also, there is no "highest calling" other that what God has called each of us to do. If God has called someone to be a garbage collector, then that is God's highest calling for them. If God wants someone to be a housewife, that is God's hightest calling for them. If God wants someone to be a pastor, that is God's highest calling for them. Whatever God wants you to do, that is God's highest calling for them. We are all supposed to spread the gospel wherever we are, to glorify God and serve Him wherever we are, whatever we are doing. That is the highest calling. We just have to make sure that we are following the highest calling that God has given for ourselves.
Also, there is no "highest calling" other that what God has called each of us to do. If God has called someone to be a garbage collector, then that is God's highest calling for them. If God wants someone to be a housewife, that is God's hightest calling for them. If God wants someone to be a pastor, that is God's highest calling for them. Whatever God wants you to do, that is God's highest calling for them. We are all supposed to spread the gospel wherever we are, to glorify God and serve Him wherever we are, whatever we are doing. That is the highest calling. We just have to make sure that we are following the highest calling that God has given for ourselves.
