My friend Wayne blogged about figuring out God’s will. That got me thinking (which of course presents a whole new set of issues) have we made God’s will a lot more mysterious and a lot more difficult to figure out than what it really is?
I think we have and I think the reasons we’ve made it more difficult are indicting on our western version of Christianity.
Reason 1: Psalm 37 Moments
Do we put God in a man constructed box by thinking there is only ONE way that God wants to work out situations? Could He be sovereign enough and creative enough to work it out the way He wants no matter what we decide?
Actually, more to the point, I think there are times when either choice we make – He is going to bless and work out. These I call Psalm 37 Moments moments. Is it possible that on our journey with Jesus, he places us in crossroads where either decision we make is “good”?
How can you tell what decisions are Psalm 37′s and which aren’t?
Reason 2: Community
We in the west have a bad, unbiblical, unhealthy habit. We make decisions in a vaccuum. When faced with a major decision, we will hole up, keep it secret, wrestle with it privately then announce “I think God is calling me to Africa.” Most of us don’t seek honest insight from others. Most of us seek opinions that agree with us. For whatever reasons, we don’t want others in our stuff. I suspect that this is mostly because of fear. If you really knew how jacked up I was, would you still love/trust/like/respect me?
When we were approached by Grace to be their youth pastor, I stole a tradition from the Quakers called the Clearness Committee. The Clearness Committee’s job was to ask questions. So I got 5 guys who knew me better than I was comfortable with and they walked with me through the entire process from start to finish. They sat in phone interviews, they proofed my letters and responses, they asked the hard questions and threw insights that I couldn’t see.
The night we returned from our Little Rock visit, those guys came to my house, sat around my dinner table till way after midnight, asking questions. I was offered the job while we were there that weekend. All the guys said the same thing. “I think God is calling you there.”
The hard part wasn’t figuring out God’s will. The hard part was obeying.
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test
Dude…got it working.
I agree totally and, to be honest, the community part is where I fall short most of the time (living in a vacuum can be comfortable at times). Mostly because I haven’t let myself have that sort of community in the recent past.
Prov 15:22 Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed.
Run well
Reason 1: I think you’re right. It seems very clear that God has laid out His General Will for us. Seek first the kingdom (Matt 6:33), be sanctified/avoid sexual immorality (1 Thess 4:3), be joyful/pray/give thanks (1 Thess 5:18), give God the glory first, etc. As for His Specific Will (like should I take this job or that job), there seems to be some flexibility. Pray, seek counsel, use your best thinking, and decide. As long as you are choosing between 2 options that both allow you to seek first, be sanctified, give glory to God, etc., then it might not be so important which you eventually choose.
Reason 2: The is the 2nd reference to a Clearness Committee that I have heard about lately. I’m really fascinated about the idea that we would (and probably should) invite others (in addition to our spouse) into our decision-making process.