The Will of God

Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Over my 11-month break I have learnt a tremendous lot about the will of God. These are things which I picked up here and there from sermons, articles, books, etc. that I’ve read, and were consolidated through an actual living out and encountering of problem after problem, trouble after trouble, difficulty after difficulty, challenge after challenge, and dependence on God over all. I truly thank God for using these months to mould me; what seemed at first to be the start of a dull drawing on of idle months soon unfolded into a surprising journey of growth and shaping. In four points, here’s my practical understanding of walking in God’s will.

1 – Being, before doing

Walking in God’s will means doing good works (Hebrews 13:20), but the doing is not at the bottom of it. Before any decision to do, we first have to be: Be the people God created us to be. Focus on that first, before fretting about the things we should do.

Jon Bloom wrote, “Living out of the ‘be’ instead of the ‘do’ makes all the difference in the world. Instead of chasing our identity by trying so hard to ‘do’, we receive our true identity (be) as a free gift of grace from our loving Creator God (Ephesians 2:8; 1:4–5).”

So first come to joyful and humble terms with the fact that God has, in His mercy, made me His child, and redeemed me from my sin. As a recipient of this gospel of grace, I then walk as a disciple should: loving Him, trusting Him, hating all sin and clinging on to what is good (Romans 12:10).

How did I learn this most vividly? I was trying to choose which university to go to, and those around me would probably know what a dilemma it was for me in those months. It was plaguing me, weighing me down; I felt the burden and desire to choose the university which God wills for me, but I was so caught up with the actual choice of the university that it diverted my focus away from being the ready and available servant of God, beneficiary of His gospel of grace, wherever I go, whatever I do. As long as I cry out to the Good Shepherd and mean what I pray when I pray “Let Your will be done”, surely the Shepherd will answer that call. The Shepherd who goes searching relentlessly for that one lost sheep from the pen will surely expend His divine resources to keep the willing ones within the pen. Once I am bent on doing God’s will, I mustn’t get overanxious about whether or not I really am doing what He wants me to do, because:

“Experience has taught me that the Shepherd is far more willing to show His sheep the path than the sheep are to follow. He is endlessly merciful, patient, tender, and loving. If we, His stupid and wayward sheep, really want to be led, we will without fail be led. Of that I am sure.” – Elisabeth Elliot

Indeed, the will of God for me is to first be the sheep that is willing to learn, to grow, and walk with the Lord. Only thereafter comes the doing.

2 – Disciplined doing

When it comes to the doing, the will of God requires discipline in spite of emotions and feelings. This is the essence of “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Walking in the will of God often requires us to carry out little self-denials daily: to choose with discipline to expend time and energy doing something I may not ‘feel’ like doing. It won’t always come naturally to walk in God’s will, because of our sin and fallen nature. This doesn’t contradict the preceding point about ‘being’ before ‘doing’ of course – because that discipline to do in spite of every opposing impulse of the flesh (to sleep, to eat, to do something else) should rise from a secure & certain knowledge of who I am first of all. I first make up my mind to be a disciple of Jesus, and after that comes the discipline to walk the path of a disciple. Too often after learning the lesson about being before doing have I then forgotten the discipline that is required for one who is intent to walk in the will of God.

“No, I strike a blow to my body and make it a slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:27. Paul makes his own body a slave! And ironically but most beautifully in accordance with the divine wisdom, that enslavement is the narrow gate that opens up to true freedom.

3 - Satisfaction

Being – checked. Doing – checked. Now what about the continuing in this being and doing? The first key is to find satisfaction in doing the will of God. St Ignatius of Loyola prayed, “Teach us, Good Lord, to serve Thee as Thou deserveth; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labour and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that we do Thy will. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.” [emphasis added]

Knowing that the will of God is the purpose for my life – that I was created for it – should mean that I find immense joy in knowing I walk in it. Therefore I can let go of whatever other goal-driven worldly aspirations and measures of success, not needing any material results (e.g. tangible results, compliments, etc.) to keep me going; just that according to the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit I know I do the will of God: that is enough.

During my holiday break, there were no exam and semester test results by which to measure my success and effectiveness; there were no lecturers to give affirmation and tell me I’m progressing well in my occupation as a student. I was just going along each day, doing ministry work, reading great books, preparing for my degree, and serving others in whatever little ways I could – all quietly without a semester report at the end to document my progress and work, and often without immediate tangible results to see and be satisfied by. Just to know I do the will of God takes my dependence off affirmation, compliments and tangible results. I will know when I do the will of God – if what I do aligns with His biblical instruction, and the Holy Spirit fills me with peace.

This will apply, I expect, most vividly in motherhood: when tangible results are far from being seen, when your work seems to bear no tangible fruit as day in day out you toil for your children. The satisfaction and motivation to keep going should not come from the search for results – they should come from knowing that you do the will of God. That should be satisfying enough! (easier said than done)

4 - Serenity

For anyone walking in the will of God, there are many things out of our control: from little inconveniences to huge tragedies that suddenly may come upon us. The will of God for us is also to bear a serene acceptance of whatever comes – a serenity that the world cannot explain; a serenity of a life led by the Lord. This is a lesson taught clearly by Elisabeth Elliot in Let Me Be A Woman (though applicable to men & women alike).

This serenity is, in T.C. Upham’s words, “the disposition to leave the dearest objects of our hearts in the sublime keeping of the general and unspecific belief that God is now answering our prayers in His own time and way, and in the best manner”. To walk in the will of God, having come to terms with the identity (being) God has given me, and the disciplined doing that comes thereafter, sweetly accompanied by God-given satisfaction, also bears the serenity to accept and make the most of the circumstances that are not in our hands – because we know they are in God’s.

Psalm 118:6 // “The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

1 Peter 3:6 // “… You are [Sarah’s] daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.”

Psalm 16:11 // “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Isaiah 55:8 // “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD.”

When we desire to walk in the will of God in His paths, we will have a heartfelt serenity whatever comes our way. Should tragedy occur that would normally topple or crumble a person who relies on his/her own strength, someone who walks and trusts in God’s will will not be shaken, confident of Romans 8:28-29 “For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, those who have been called according to their purpose.”

Conclusion

Walking in God’s will means first knowing I am to be who God has created me to be: a child of God fashioned in His image. I make up my mind who I am: a disciple of Jesus Christ no longer my own but belonging to Him who purchased me with blood, a faith-driven beneficiary of mercy, a sinner redeemed by grace, a servant commissioned in Matthew 28:19-20.

Walking in God’s will then means discipline to walk in that freely given identity: to walk as a child of God, a disciple of Jesus, a humbled and saved sinner, a servant on a mission. Accompanying this identity with the good deeds, and tirelessly walking this path despite suffering, despite feelings of dullness or a lack of drive.

The being gives rise to the doing, and the doing should yield satisfaction despite the lack of, or complete absence of, compliments/thanks/affirmation/clear tangible results, so enabling us to continue in His will in a God-honouring way, and with the right, selfless motives.

But as we continue in His will, we need to know there are many things out of our control. So what about the times things don’t go our way? Proverbs 16:9 “The heart of man plans his way but the LORD determines his steps” What about when the final ordained steps don’t correspond to the plans made in our hearts? That’s where the serenity of one who walks in God’s will comes in, peacefully accepting what God gives to us, trusting that eternal good will come out of it.

“The will of God is not something you add to your life. It’s a course you choose.” Elisabeth Elliot