MEANDERINGS ON GOD’S WILL

Case Number One: Some saints see God’s will as all inclusive, where every life choice... every decision great and small, is fore-ordered by God who moves us by His Spirit in everything we do. Some see the command to “walk in the Spirit” as a mandate supporting God’s all inclusive will... but the context in these passages is clearly the enmity and warfare between one’s old carnal fleshly nature and the new indwelling “Spirit” nature of our Lord. “Walking in the Spirit” is clearly a mandate to become Christlike in thought, word and deed. This case presumes we are hearing the voice of the Lord 24/7, and differentiating distinctly His voice from the din that surrounds us, a challenge for even the most mature Christian.

Case Number Two: Others see God’s will as a series of parking lots where every major life choice has spiritual parameters defining God’s will -- the parking lot boundaries. Once the parking lot is entered God’s will is satisfied and the choice of parking spots is left to us.

Case Number Three: And still others see God’s will more in a spiritual sense, involving one’s calling, ministry, and spiritual gifts.

For example, does God want to choose our spouse, city, house, occupation, job, church, the car we drive, where we have lunch, what shirt we wear, etc. Or, does He want to choose the city we live in, the parking lot, and allow us to choose the house... the parking spot  -- does He want to choose our occupation, the parking lot, and allow us to choose our job... the parking spot, and so on. Or, does He only concern Himself with our ministry and Kingdom activities, leaving all other choices up to us?

Every saint has righteous works foreordained by God: In the first case these works would accompany the choices God makes for us, so anytime we missed God’s choice we would miss the Kingdom works He had planned around that choice. In the second case God, in His infiniteness, would assign righteous works to our parking choices within the parking lot boundaries He establishes for each of our major life choices, to fulfill His purposes. Of course, this is not a challenge to our Father, who knew the choices we would make before the foundations of the world were laid.  And, what becomes a parking lot or a parking spot may very well differ between saints just as God’s righteous works and plans for them differ. God often guides us through granting or withholding favor, opening and closing doors of opportunity. In the third case, if we miss God‘s will concerning calling, ministry, or gifting, we would be up the proverbial creek without a paddle. But Case Number Three is really a subset of Case Number Two, another major life choice... another parking lot. If we use God’s word as a roadmap for our life we will find all His parking lots and be at peace with the parking spots we choose -- even if we have to walk a little further then needed at times... that’s OK...

Psalms 37:23-24 says “The steps of a good (i.e., righteous) man are ordered (i.e., directed and established) by the Lord, And He delights in his way … For the Lord upholds him with His hand.” God gives wisdom to all who ask, wisdom to find the right parking lots, and wisdom to pick the best parking spots. He delights in the way we take -- busies Himself with our every step -- holding our hand all the way.