Comments on: God’s Will

By: mandy

mandy — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:51:30 +0000

I was going to make a joke about God really wanting Joe in MI if he can find a job here.

But it’s not so much a joke… as God knowing what’s up.

Chad, thanks for trying to clarify again over IM. You’re a pal.

By: Chad McIntosh

Chad McIntosh — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:23:19 +0000

I agree–there is a happy median between the two poles. The motivation behind the post, I should say, was my seeing people (myself included) habitually, almost obsessively, grieve themselves over what God would have them do in some situation. It’s always either the red wire or blue wire and we only have once chance to get it right. It is well intended, but sometimes I feel an air of absurdity about the whole issue. I imagine a modern-day Job scenario where, amidst us tormenting ourselves into impotence with self-righteous pontification, God quotes Lieutenant Dan and says “‘Sit down…and shut up.’ I can use you either way.”

By: Joe Martino

Joe Martino — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:17:03 +0000

The point is, the more seemingly irrational our behavior is, the more scrutiny we need to subject it to (Biblical or other: 1 Thessalonians 5:21; 1 John 4:1-2). Of course I am open to such behavior being eminently rational (however seemingly irrational to the natural eye), be it directed by God.

Excellent, then in the broad strokes we agree. I just always want to be careful that we don’t go too far one way or the other. In college I was taught that all we need to do is “Love God and Do what we want to do” John MacArthur actually espouses that view, but it is a view that I have to reject based on my understanding of Scripture.
As for your communication skills, this is an imperfect medium for us all.
Peace

By: Chad McIntosh

Chad McIntosh — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:57:21 +0000

Joe,

Please forgive me if I came off as insensitive–I thought you were setting up a hypothetical situation! I was not comparing you to Yates; I was comparing how I would respond (even the comparison is incidental–I just read an article on Yates which got me thinking, “How would I respond to her?”), which is via a series of questions which I think would do a pretty good job of clearing our will from God’s.

Notice that in my response I do not eliminate the possibility of God communicating to you in the way you say he in fact has (I believe he has communicated to me similarly). The point is, the more seemingly irrational our behavior is, the more scrutiny we need to subject it to (Biblical or other: 1 Thessalonians 5:21; 1 John 4:1-2). Of course I am open to such behavior being eminently rational (however seemingly irrational to the natural eye), be it directed by God.

Again, please forgive my shortcomings as a communicator.

By: Joe Martino

Joe Martino — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:56:49 +0000

WOW, you just compared me to someone who has been diagnosed phsyco. I moved to Michigan because without a job because God told me to do so. He confirmed through my wife. He provided a job after we moved. I believe there are times when you just have to sit back and weigh your options and do what is wise but I also believe that God sometimes directly tells you what to do. It’s happened a couple of times in my life and others that I know. The problem is we try to make this too much one way or the other. But hey, I’m just like Andrea Yates. Does that make you like Fred Phelps?

By: Heath

Heath — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 05:44:55 +0000

I think John Sanders has a great quote on this topic: “God’s will for your life is that you be a lover of God.” Accomplish that, and all the rest is just window dressing. But to be fair, I do think that God “gives a crap.” He just doesn’t “plan the crap.”

By: Chad McIntosh

Chad McIntosh — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 02:56:47 +0000

I only mean to say “God doesn’t give a crap” when said choice is properly qualified; that is, in God’s will. At times, there are a multitude of righteous decisions one could make in line with God’s will. In fact, the more in accord you are with God’s will, I’d say the more righteous decisions you are able to see as viable at a give time (hence the more free you become in your own will).

By: mandy

mandy — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 02:40:37 +0000

christian- good points. I guess I just have a problem with saying God doesn’t give a crap where we go to college, or who we marry. Is that different then working outside his will? (or did you just phrase this badly?) The more I have thought about it for the past 8 years, I really do believe that God led Tim & I together. That’s not based on some romantic notion of us being soulmates, etc. I believe it was in his will. I think certain events occured to make this possible. That’s not to say I couldn’t make marriage to any person work (and that be in God’s will) I certainly do think God gives a crap about it though.. (More then that, maybe- Tim and I are together so I would go to Northern Hills and not be a crazy person or commit suicide.. I mean that in all seriousness. Northern Hills (Ken, Ben, & Todd) seriously and fully changed my life. I don’t know if Tim and I would still be married today if Ben & Lisa had not talked to us for hours on end in the earliest days of our marriage. Ken and Todd have played such important roles in my Christian walk as well- I’m talking a 360 change here. I think this was all in God’s will.)

Once again, I don’t know if I’m just not understanding you enough.. and we need to discuss this over Skyline next month when we’re in the ‘nati. Love you, Chad!

By: Christian

Christian — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 02:25:40 +0000

That might be a more interesting question (and most probably unanswerable until we all get to heaven), but no matter what the answer to that is, the point I was trying to make is that I think God does at times “give a crap” about some of those listed things (except the socks, although I could imagine some situations in which he might care about that as well).

By: Chad McIntosh

Chad McIntosh — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 01:47:10 +0000

Christian, I agree with everything you wrote, being confident in thinking you don’t believe this to be everything I could say on the issue of God’s will–simplistic conclusions being unavoidable in light of a length such that I can post in good conscience.

Regarding your friend going to Ghana: The more interesting question, I think, is whether he would be outside of God’s will were he not to go.