Misunderstanding God’s Will

I commented on Facebook yesterday that I think God’s will is very misunderstood.

I think it’s more descriptive than prescriptive. I think of Christ telling us what the kingdom of Heaven is like, with the idea that we might build something even a little bit like it here rather than worrying about what it takes to get us there.

I think it’s less directive and more indulgent. I’m a big fan of free will, so I dislike the idea that God’s will entails God pushing buttons and pulling levers behind a curtain to control what we do. We are like children, and sometimes parents can be quite indulgent when it comes to their children. Sometimes the children suffer for it, and sometimes it amounts to natural consequences.

In short, I don’t think God’s will controls our day-to-day existence, though according to it God may from time to time choose to intervene in our lives.

"If there is one single molecule in this universe running around loose, totally free of God's sovereignty, then we have no guarantee that a single promise of God will ever be fulfilled" - Dr RC Sproul
(Image of waterfall from The TRUTH Will Set You Free, on Flickr, under Creative Commons.)

Then again, it’s likely that I am too conformed to this present world, not fully transformed by a renewed mind, and unable to prove what God’s “good and acceptable and perfect will” is (Romans 12:2), so I may be misunderstanding it completely….

Which was sort of my point in the first place.

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4 Responses to Misunderstanding God’s Will

  1. your last sentence…perfection

  2. Keith Brinegar says:

    I agree with you completely. If He were pulling levers and pushing buttons 100% of the time, then what’s the use of free will, or even independent thought? We are given a choice. It’s up to us what we do with that choice.

    I also truly believe there’s a difference between spirituality and religion. But that’s another discussion entirely.