The Will of God

The instruction is general, the responsibility is personal

A few weeks ago we traveled to North Eastern Germany where we were invited to give a series of workshops at a conference. My husband and me enjoy teaching as a team and during that weekend we spoke on the will of God, the plan of God, the voice of God and the power of God in our lives. I thought it would be fun to share some of the nuggets on this weblog, in a nut shell of course :) So, let's start with the will of God for our lives.

The will of God is a general instruction for all believers. There is really no such thing as the will of God for our individual life; that would be called the plan of God. Often, we confuse the will of God with the plan of God. The will of God = the Word of God = the Law of God. His will is His system, or His testament for the believers. Jesus states in Matthew 12:50, Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, is my brother and sister and mother. His will is something we do, not something God will do for us. We proclaim it in our prayers: Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). God desires His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven! He tells us to proclaim that. It is our role/assignment to execute His will (His testament) here on earth. The instruction is therefore general, but the responsibility is personal. 

It takes a change of mind to execute His will, instead of waiting for it to happen. Romans 12:2 says, Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.

So, what is God's will for you and me, for us all? Scripture teaches us a few basics:

• Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).Well, that would give us enough work for the rest of our lives, right?
• It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality... (1 Thessalonians 4:3). No theology needed to explain that one, right?
• For my Father's will is that everyone who look to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life...(John 6:40). Here we see God's will through Jesus, transferred to us.

Is everything that happens on earth God's will? NO! Even in a few scriptures as mentioned above, we see what God's will is on earth, but often we see the opposite happening. This is however not a reason for despair, but a call to action. There is work to do for the believers.

Let's stop asking for His will, but start doing His will!