Friday, January 12, 2007
Discern what is the Will of God
How do we balance our belief in God's sovereignity over all of our lives and our responsibility to actively pursue God's will for our lives? It's the next subject dealt with in Debbie Maken's Getting Serious about Getting Married.
On one hand, there is God's sovereignity and the knowledge that his plan for our lives has been in place since before the world was created. This, however, does not mean that we are simply puppets, only able to act when God pulls our strings. Is refusing to actively pursue a marriage partner an example of acting like this? Maken describes it as "not trusting God. Rather it is refusing to follow his design for our lives."
She goes on to blame this partly on people's laziness but mainly on teaching from the church that "Singleness is a gift". If it is a gift, there are a lot of people who are not happy with it! Paul is clear that celibacy is a gift, but given to a select few set aside for a task that required them to be single. However, where does that leave the other millions of Christian singles?
I like the analogy of job applications. While I believe that God has planned a job for me, I can't just sit around hoping that a phone call will mysteriously come to offer me my next post, blaming my unemployment on "God's will". Instead, I sort out my CV, fill in job applications and attend interviews. Perhaps we should be considering our relationships in the same way.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2
On one hand, there is God's sovereignity and the knowledge that his plan for our lives has been in place since before the world was created. This, however, does not mean that we are simply puppets, only able to act when God pulls our strings. Is refusing to actively pursue a marriage partner an example of acting like this? Maken describes it as "not trusting God. Rather it is refusing to follow his design for our lives."
She goes on to blame this partly on people's laziness but mainly on teaching from the church that "Singleness is a gift". If it is a gift, there are a lot of people who are not happy with it! Paul is clear that celibacy is a gift, but given to a select few set aside for a task that required them to be single. However, where does that leave the other millions of Christian singles?
I like the analogy of job applications. While I believe that God has planned a job for me, I can't just sit around hoping that a phone call will mysteriously come to offer me my next post, blaming my unemployment on "God's will". Instead, I sort out my CV, fill in job applications and attend interviews. Perhaps we should be considering our relationships in the same way.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2
Labels: marriage, reading, singleness
3 Comments:
As advanced in years as I get Keziah - the more I realize I just don't have the answers to everything I wish I did. I'm not sure about this one. If it is true God has a specific plan for our lives, then what happens when I mess up. For instance, I thought it was His will for me to go to college and get a degree and be a social worker. I dropped out after a year. Did I miss God's will in the first place, or did I blow it by dropping out? On the other hand, God knew what my choices would be long before I ever made them.
I just can't get my little mind around some of these things. I do believe God has a plan for our lives. I also believe He expects us to do our part. So perhaps it is as you said. So much of this walk with Him is an act of faith. I think we do what we know to be right and trust Him to work things out according to His will.
I know He has a marvelous plan for you.
"I just can't get my little mind around some of these things."
I think that's part of the problem. Our minds and our outlooks are just too small this side of heaven - I don't think we as creatures could understand them. We just get ourselves tied up in knots! How can both God's sovereignity and our responsibility have such a big role at the same time?
Isn't it wonderful that we can go through our lives without having the complete understanding of this and that we just need to do the best job of it that we can? I only offer these thoughts as me thinking out loud and look forward to reading other people's comments.
Thanks for coming by, Linda. I really appreciate your wisdom.
Yeah, I've been thinking the same thing about jobs/marriage recently. What I'm not sure about is how to go about "pursuing" marriage, when I'm the one who's supposed to be being "pursued"... I think we'd all agree that I'd be a bit out of bounds to go up to the handsome and eligible bachelor in my church and tell him I'm available and waiting!! (He probably already knows it anyway ; ) ) I suppose though we can pursue marriage in general and even a person in specific, through prayer. And too, I can be genuinely interested in being a friend and godly sister to him in the meantime.
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