Some Thoughts on God's Will

I had an interesting experience a few days ago. I was spending time in prayer. Mostly I was trying to discern God's will for what sort of things He would like me to do now that I've finished college. The opportunities are endless and I don't want to go off and invest years of my life in something only to wake up one day and realize I've wasted however many years doing a "good" thing but it wasn't the thing God had intended for me. With that desire before me I had gone to prayer and was an hour or so into a good conversation with God when I felt inclined to go clean the living room. It was a bit odd but I needed to clean it up anyway and figured maybe God was sorta tired of talking to me and wanted me to go do something useful instead of just sitting around. I cleaned for maybe an hour, did a pretty good job and sat down to rest. As I sat I looked around and saw all the things I could have cleaned but didn't or should have cleaned but was too lazy.

That's when God broke His silence and said, "you can't even clean a room well when I tell you to. Why would I explain all my big plans for your future when you couldn't even accomplish my plan for the next hour?If I told you everything I wanted you to do, you'd set out and try your best and fail utterly because your not ready. Too much information at the wrong time is harmful. Do the things I tell you to really well and I'll reveal my future for you in stages as you become mature enough to handle the information"

It was a sobering reminder and a more real conversation with God than I usually have. Basically God was saying, I want to know my future but I'm not ready yet. As I meditated on it God seemed to be teaching me two things. And these are the things which you might find applicable to your own life.

1.  God will only show us as much of His will as we can do well. This means God won't tell you to do something you are incapable of doing. It also means that everything God does tell you, you can do. So when God says, "love your enemy" you are capable of doing that. You may not know how which is why we take time and study. God may need to help you but He promises to help those who trust in Him. When God says, "Take up your cross and follow me" It means that our cross is not impossible to bear. This truth is encouraging but also embarrassing. It means that God trusts enough to do things and He believes in us to accomplish as much of His will as He's communicated. That's encouraging. It's encouraging to think that the God of the universe who has all power and all control has given me some of that power and control so that I can make a small part of the world the way God wants it to be. It's embarrassing and disgraceful because, God, the one who holds the universe together, the One who can tell the planets to spin and they spin, who can tell the stars to shine and they shine, the One who can command the sea, "thus far you shall come and no further", He also commands us, "come and be my disciple" and I say "no I have tv to watch." Or, "no I want to hang out with my friends."

2. Make sure we're doing well the part of God's will He's already revealed to us.  The Bible is full of God's will and it doesn't take long when we read it to find somethings God wants His people to do. Some of the most obvious examples I know of are the following.

Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.

Micah 6:8 He has shown you own Mortal what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Hosea 6:6 For I desire mercy not sacrifice and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

Philippians 2:12 Therefore my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence- continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.  

Luke 12:22 Therefore do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body what you will put on. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing.

I have not given translations or commentaries on any of these passages. The point is that God has communicated an awful lot of his will to us already and most of us just don't like it so we ignore it. We want God to reveal His will that will be easy and fun and full of blessings. We don't want Him to reveal a will like what He revealed to Saint Anthony who had to sell everything he owned and live in the same suit of clothing for 54 years praying for the world. We are scared to do the will of God that has already been revealed and we are scared to make a major life decision without God saying it's ok.

3. There are two types of God's will. General will and specific will and we must learn the general will before we try and discover the specific will for us. God has certain things which apply to everyone. I think it's fair to say God doesn't want anyone to be an idiot. or lazy, or a coward, or a weakling. God wants everybody to be wise, merciful, loving, and virtuous. Those are general things which apply to everyone and we should always be working on. Personal will is are the aspects of God's plan which only apply to a specific person or group. God's will was for Moses to lead the people of Israel, He willed that David would be king of Israel, He willed that Jesus would suffer and die so that we might have redemption and forgiveness of sins. Not everyone is supposed to be a king and just because that was God's will for David doesn't mean it His will for me. So after we work on fulfilling the general will of God we can start asking Him what his will is for us specifically.

I don't really understand all of this, or even most of this. These are my thoughts after thinking about my experiences in prayer and the conversations I've had with God. fortunately for us we serve a real God who is involved in the lives of His followers so when we do start wandering away from the truth He will call us back. For those who will hear and obey there is satisfaction, peace and joy in the fulfillment of God's will. No matter how difficult the task may appear, no matter how against your personality what He calls you to do may be, when God is involved all the virtues of godliness are present as well. Let us open ourselves to God and make time and room for Him to work within us, scraping out the junk and repairing that which is broken. He is the master craftsmen and never fails to produce beauty wherever He is welcomed and destruction where he is rebuffed.

Some Thoughts From This Week.

It's far too easy to find someone your superior to and base your evaluation of yourself on that comparison. We want to feel good, indeed we were created to feel good, so we'll cut whatever corners we have to in order to feel the way we were created to feel. Unfortuanetly it's also very easy to forget that we are more than feelings. Feelings are big and loud and up in our faces so they are difficult to ignore. Often they are so dominating we forget we have a spirit and a mind more than capable of putting one's feelings back into their proper place. Like the school bully who is so scary that we forget there are teachers and parents who can defend us from a bully. 

Balance is a good word, it's applicable here as it is necessary to find. Balance between the mind, heart and spirit. Or as The Great Commandment decrees, "you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart (which is the body or appatite), all your soul (which is the spirit), and all your mind, (which is the reason)" Matthew 22:37 We do not deny one for th sake of the other but in the purification of any part of the human person the rest will be bettered as a result. One can not have a sanctified mind without having a sanctified soul or flesh, they will grow in holiness together. If we seek to control our flesh we'll find ourselves discipling our reason and increasing it's power level as well. 

The intentional development of this harmony between the three parts of the person can be done in innumerable ways. The key component is simply the will to harmonize the components of the person. One of the most fundamental truths of God and our relation to Him is that He will guide the human who seeks life the way it was meant to be lived. I'm increasingly more hesitant to recommend books or methods of conquering, than harmonizing self because it seems like have the benefit of this process comes from figuring it out yourself. 

Now it is not wise to forsake the wisdom of our predeccesors. The reality that prayer has been a major component of nearly every significant follower of God would indicate that one who wants to follow God should pray, and pray often. We, more so than any other generation have access to more information on getting to know God than any other group of people in all of history. It would be only sensible to mine that information and apply to our own life what is profitable. 

Ultimatly a God exists and He is not silent, He is not hidden and He is not unwilling to help us, if we'll let Him. What's important is starting the search. Crack open the dusty volumes of religion, philosophy and history which has always been of interest but never enthralling enough to trump tv. Seriously, just read trying to learn something. It doesnt have to be big or old or complicated. Wisdom begins with being sensible and studying something you'll understand. 

A quote by A.W. Tozer to end with, "we'll hardly get our feet out of time into eternity and gaze on eternity that we bow our heads in shame and humiliation and say, 'look at all the riches there are in Christ and I,ve come to the Judgement seat nearly a pauper.'" Everyone has access to the riches in godliness, the joy in generousity, the peace in humility, the Hector like heroisim in courage, the logic in truth and the glory in wisdom. Lets not leave these treasures for the sake of the confusion in ignorance, the depression in laziness, the frustration in cowardice and the greed in self pity. 

A Quote From Epictetus

Following is a quote by a greek philosopher named Epictetus. 

Had we understanding should we ever cease hymning and blessing the Divine Power, both openly and in secret, and telling of His gracious gifts? Whether digging of ploughing or eating, should we not sing the hymn to God: - Great is God, for he hath given us such instruments to till the ground withal: great is God, for he hath given us hands and the power of swallowing and digesting; of unconsciously growing and breathing while we sleep! Great is God, for he hath given us a mind to apprehend these things and to properly use them. What than! Seeing that most of you are blinded, should there not be some one to fill this place, and sing the hymn to God on behalf of all men? What else can I, that am old and lame do but sing to God. Were I a nightingale, I should do after the manner of a nightingale. Were I a swan, I should do after the manner of a swan. But now, since I am a reasonable being, I must sing to God: that is my work: I do it, nor will I desert this my post, as long as it is granted me to hold it; and upon you too I call to join in this selfsame hymn. 

Based on this quote I think we can answer some questions which everyone wants answered. 

What am I? A human being, which is a rational spirit enclosed in a shell of flesh. 

What is my purpose? To bless God. 

How can I do it? Using my reason. 

What aren't I? An animal, a creation who can only see the world through their senses and feelings. 

What isn't my purpose? To do what I want. 

What must I do? Destroy my reason, it is the tool that God gives humans which kets them be humans. A human who loses his reason is worse than an animal because a human has a spirit. And a spirit has power, so if the spirit is not controlled by reason it follow the bodies feelings and destroy itself and often those around it. 

Cool fact, Epictetus was a greek philosopher who lived about 50 - 120 AD. Id highly recommend reading any of his lectures or sayings that have been recorded. I hVe two copies of this book, if anyone wants it id be happy to let you have it, if you promise to let me talk with you about it while you read it.

Revitalizing Post

wow, this is odd. Reading through my old blogposts is like going back in time and watching myself in the third person .Advanced warning, this post is a more selfish post in which I complain about things and prep myself and this blog for a reawakening, plus it's boring and long. If you don't want to read such a post come back in a few days and I'll have written again. 

Anyway the reason I"m back is I'm going through a process of decluttering and reorganizing my life. This summer I've finished some chapters of my life and begin writing some new ones. Part of that reorganizing will hopefully include a revitalization of this blog. I have my lists of primary objectives and secondary objectives for this journey that is called life. Blogging helps me fulfill three of those objectives. Blogging helps me, A. understand and keep track of my life well enough that I can write it out and explain it in a way other people can understand. B. increase my writing skill level. C. hopefully pass on some useful truths to those who have not yet heard them. 

On July 27 I finished my last undergraduate college level course and I'm currently waiting for my diploma in the mail. In absence of school and any regular work I've been spending lots of time in reading, meditation, prayer and organization of my life. Not much social interaction has made me realize how important people are. I guess I've been feeling lonely also...a very curious experience if you've never been lonely. So this blog is going to be my thoughts on loneliness as I understand it. 

My initial response to any uncomfortable situation is to remove it or remove myself from it. Unfortunately loneliness is not like some feelings which can be destroyed and taken away.  In the realm of feelings I believer there are three types. Feelings that are good only at certain times and bad at others such as romance, pity, anger or sorrow. Other feelings are things that God created but have become corrupted to the point that they must be removed such as lust, pride, envy. Lastly their are other feelings which are always good and should be applied in all circumstances such as love, joy, peace. Loneliness, I believe fits into the first of those categories. Similar to pain it is an indicator of something being wrong or out of place. And just as one investigates the source of pain, so one must investigate the source of loneliness in order to solve whatever the problem is that's causing it. 

Loneliness could spring from many different sources. First I had to insure that I wasn't just creating the feeling from self pity. Humans are naturally very weak and very selfish and will believe themselves a martyr very easily. I guarded against this weakness by thinking about Jesus Christ and all the people who sacrifice for me so I can live a safe, comfortable life. So I safe guarded myself from that danger which, had I given into it, would only have allowed me to feel entitled to my loneliness not actually helped me fix it. Having done that I started listing all the reasons I might feel lonely. A. Mostly all my peers are gone at college having experiences that I'll never share enjoying friends who I'll never meet. B. I'm growing more and more independent and desirous of being self sufficient. C. All the books I'm reading are increasing my knowledge in a field that very few people care very much about. And the list went on. Eventually my head started hurting. That's when an answer seemed to present itself. 

What if the cause of my "loneliness" was just an accumulation of information which I had no one to process with. This isn't to make people feel offended, I know I have lots of people who love me alot and would gladly listen to me ramble off my thoughts. Fortunately for you, that's not exactly what I need. A blog isn't a perfect substitute for a real person but a blog doesn't try to explain what your going through like a person who is smarter and they don't just listen to you attentively without understanding like a person who cares but isn't on the same intellectual level. A blog listens attentively and tells you back what you said which allows you to rethink and reprocess your thoughts once you've written them down.  

.And so I return to my first reason for revitalizing this blog. If my mind is like a big train station this blog will allow me to release some of the trains of thought so they don't keep clogging the station. The blog is now prepped for reawakening and my mind is now clear enough to write some interesting things in the future.  Thanks for reading if you made it this far, this post was more for me than for you. I'll be back in a few days with another post, hopeful of more use to my readers than a selfish rant about my own weakness such as this.