The Will of God
What is God's will for my life? A common question no doubt... I've definitely asked it many a time. And sad to say, I don't have a complete answer and I probably never will. But honestly, I guess it wouldn't really do much good to know everything God's wants for my life. I'd never learn anything, and surely my faith would never grow. It'd just be walking a set path with no real reason to trust in God. Part of trust is not seeing...
Sometimes we view God as a crystal ball. "God, if I just pray enough or worship well or do enough things, then will you please let me know where I'll be on XY day?" And maybe he will reveal some of that, its not like He can't. But we're not in any position really to bargain with God. Its not like he NEEDS us to do something for him... God is the one to initiate, to invite, to call. And he wants us to trust him.
And I think we already know half of God's will, his desire for our lives. I personally believe that we stray from God's will - his desire - all the time... but God is a God of grace... "Yeah, I can work with these people. They're not a lost cause." Just look at who God is. Merciful. Just. Full of Grace. Ever loving. Reaches out to the lost. Reaches to the oppressed. Uses odd and unworthy people. Forgiving. One of CBC's old mottoes was "Turning hearts to Jesus and growing them in His likeness". I'm pretty sure God's will is growing and practicing his likeness. That will look different in every situation. There's no formula for doing these (other starting with trusting God). Life is a bouncing ball, going this way and that. We can't always keep up. but he can. We don't always have to see the future... sometimes just hang on.
This week, I was fuming while running errands because someone at the hardware store actually took something out of my hand and then took the other one on the shelf and I couldn't get it. Who does that right?! (yeah, I probably should have stuck up for myself). Anyways, I went to get a haircut afterwards and the wait was 25 minutes. So I sat down planning to just play games on my phone... but I felt that tug. I needed to pray. I didn't know this was coming. I hadn't prayed for God's will to be revealed or to have some crazy experience to make me pray. I just knew that God wanted me to spend a little time with him. And by the end of the prayer in the waiting room, I felt a lot better and knew that I could forgive.
When it was my turn, my barber started to chat about the economy. She told me that her boss had stopped allowing customers to pay tips with credit card... and by effect not all the customers were tipping if they didn't carry cash. I realized that tips probably constituted half her income, so this was a big problem, especially during this time. And she asked if I would write her boss to make a suggestion. Again, I didn't know ahead of time. But I know God wants me stand up for the marginalized. And here it was staring me in the face.
I still worry sometimes about my future... but not as much anymore. The will of God is to embody His likeness and character. I have to pray continually to work that in my life crowded already with my own stuff. But that life is about me... maybe when I pray.. I need to surrender more to Him.
Sometimes we view God as a crystal ball. "God, if I just pray enough or worship well or do enough things, then will you please let me know where I'll be on XY day?" And maybe he will reveal some of that, its not like He can't. But we're not in any position really to bargain with God. Its not like he NEEDS us to do something for him... God is the one to initiate, to invite, to call. And he wants us to trust him.
And I think we already know half of God's will, his desire for our lives. I personally believe that we stray from God's will - his desire - all the time... but God is a God of grace... "Yeah, I can work with these people. They're not a lost cause." Just look at who God is. Merciful. Just. Full of Grace. Ever loving. Reaches out to the lost. Reaches to the oppressed. Uses odd and unworthy people. Forgiving. One of CBC's old mottoes was "Turning hearts to Jesus and growing them in His likeness". I'm pretty sure God's will is growing and practicing his likeness. That will look different in every situation. There's no formula for doing these (other starting with trusting God). Life is a bouncing ball, going this way and that. We can't always keep up. but he can. We don't always have to see the future... sometimes just hang on.
This week, I was fuming while running errands because someone at the hardware store actually took something out of my hand and then took the other one on the shelf and I couldn't get it. Who does that right?! (yeah, I probably should have stuck up for myself). Anyways, I went to get a haircut afterwards and the wait was 25 minutes. So I sat down planning to just play games on my phone... but I felt that tug. I needed to pray. I didn't know this was coming. I hadn't prayed for God's will to be revealed or to have some crazy experience to make me pray. I just knew that God wanted me to spend a little time with him. And by the end of the prayer in the waiting room, I felt a lot better and knew that I could forgive.
When it was my turn, my barber started to chat about the economy. She told me that her boss had stopped allowing customers to pay tips with credit card... and by effect not all the customers were tipping if they didn't carry cash. I realized that tips probably constituted half her income, so this was a big problem, especially during this time. And she asked if I would write her boss to make a suggestion. Again, I didn't know ahead of time. But I know God wants me stand up for the marginalized. And here it was staring me in the face.
I still worry sometimes about my future... but not as much anymore. The will of God is to embody His likeness and character. I have to pray continually to work that in my life crowded already with my own stuff. But that life is about me... maybe when I pray.. I need to surrender more to Him.
posted by Brett at
12:19 AM
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