Having a true understanding about God and his involvement in our lives helps us to understand our participative role with God.  He has divine will.  Our human will is to agree with his divine will.  When we assume that God is controlling everything, we can miss the fact that he has given us a role of participation with him.  He is going to bring about his divine will, but we cannot assume that we will be part of it if we do not choose to respond to him and participate in his will.  When we pray, “Thy will be done,” we are asking not only that his will come to pass on earth but that his will is done in our lives that very day. 

How might we apply this?  Think of the Parable of the Good Samaritan.  God’s will, in his love, was for the injured man to be helped so that he could recover.  Two people who saw his suffering opted not to participate in God’s will.  When the Samaritan came along, he applied God’s law to love his neighbor as himself, and in the process he joined God in helping the injured man.  Two key points: first, he let God’s word tell him what he should do to comply with God’s will, and second, he acted on that word.  Had he, through his belief that God was in control and therefore the injured man would be okay, opted not to act, God’s will for the injured man might not have been done, or someone else would have to come along and do what the good Samaritan did.

In a sense, believing that God is in control could induce us to be spiritually hesitant and fail to participate with God when we should.  This inaction can be in our personal lives as well as in our interactions with other people.  James’ instruction about the relationship of faith and works explains the importance of faith triggering action in participation with God.  So does Hebrews 11.  God wants to use us as vessels who act upon our faith to do what complies with his will.

Misconceptions about God can lead to discouragement and doubt.  The example of the young person questioning God I mentioned in a previous Blog is one example.  Another is that of a person having erroneous expectations about God’s will in their life.  Solomon wrote, Hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12).  What if the hope was based upon erroneous expectations?  The obvious outcome is deep disappointment that can lead to worse.  I have seen such people struggle with the outcome that does not reach their expectations: such as, God will make them rich, heal their suffering loved one, or that his will is to bless some endeavor that they want to pursue.  The best interpreter of God’s will is his written word, seen through the lens of Jesus Christ and enlightened by the Holy Spirit.  (I suggest the New Testament for newer Bible readers.)  When we harbor misconceptions about God’s will in our lives, and our expectations are not fulfilled, the outcome can affect our faith negatively. Such wounds to faith are unnecessary.  When we understand the truth about God’s involvement in our lives it gives us hope that does not disappoint.    

Another important effect of true understanding is that when someone challenges us with disbelief in God because of their misconception about God’s control in this world, we are better able to answer them and thereby perhaps even encourage them to trust God. If we remember that Jesus prayed that his followers would be one with God and each other, it becomes clearer that God is not going to accomplish his will by controlling us or anyone else.  Oneness is brought about through the work of the Holy Spirit, building up the Church to spiritual maturity and uniting us through love.  The book Echo of Jesus’ Prayer – in the Church gives much more detail about how this will be brought about.

In our next Blog, we will consider a picture of our will in concert with God’s will.