God's Will - Chapter 2
Simple Will is problematic for one reason - Common sense isn't "common" anymore.
Our judgment calls will be influenced by our circumstances and cultural norms. The only problem with that is - what if your culture is going to hell in a handbasket? This was the case of folks in places like Sodom and Gamorrah, or in Noah's day and age. It made sense to act in a certain way because "everyone else is doing it". So the funny illustration before about what to wear in the morning can take on a very different personality depending upon the culture.
Living in Mississippi means dealing with intense heat, and dressing appropriately. I wear shorts to go to the mall, to eat out, even to church on Wednesday nights. But while on a mission trip to Venezuela, we were instructed not to wear anything that didn't cover the knees. Showing too much leg would be a sign of ill repute. On the other hand - there was no limit to how tight or low cut a top could be, at least when judging by the apparel we saw out in the communities. They had their markers of what was appropriate and what was not, and they were completely different from ours.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians that God makes a habit of confounding the wisest people by the simplest means. Meaning - sometimes things just don't make sense in God's economy. He can act, and usually does, contrary to our culture, our worldviews, and our interpretations of circumstances and events. When making a decision, scriptural principles must always take precedence over cultural norms. Going back to the case of how to dress, scripture instructs us to be modest - both in the cut and the quality of our clothing. We are also to be sensitive to how our behaviors edify others or cause them to stumble. And scripture tells us to clothe ourselves in some specific spiritual garments which are of more value than the physical - humility, the armor of our salvation, purity and righteousness.
Brother Lawrence, as he has been immortalized in the devotional classic, "The Practice of the Presence of God", was a wonderful example of someone who thoroughly integrated his spiritual life into the everyday exercises of his natural life. And this is because he saw even natural daily activities as opportunities for spiritual reflection and growth. It should be natural for a Child of God to consider His instructions in making everyday decisions. Oswald Chambers has said, "Just as you cannot take a day off morally and still be a moral person, so you cannot take a day off spiritually and be a spiritual person."
Simple Will does not stand alone as a decision making paradigm if you are a Christian. The reason for this is inside of us. The Holy Spirit guides us in ways we do not see, calling to mind scriptural principles [The Scriptural Will] that play into how we interpret daily tasks and events, and how we perform them. And this is important. Apart from the Spirit's intercession and interruptions, we will not know God's Specific Will for a situation, should He need us to act in a particular way. But in daily walking with God in wisdom and all truth, we will be better prepared to hear a still, small voice, to react to a closed or opened door, or to take a leap of faith that exceeds our human wisdom.
Our judgment calls will be influenced by our circumstances and cultural norms. The only problem with that is - what if your culture is going to hell in a handbasket? This was the case of folks in places like Sodom and Gamorrah, or in Noah's day and age. It made sense to act in a certain way because "everyone else is doing it". So the funny illustration before about what to wear in the morning can take on a very different personality depending upon the culture.
Living in Mississippi means dealing with intense heat, and dressing appropriately. I wear shorts to go to the mall, to eat out, even to church on Wednesday nights. But while on a mission trip to Venezuela, we were instructed not to wear anything that didn't cover the knees. Showing too much leg would be a sign of ill repute. On the other hand - there was no limit to how tight or low cut a top could be, at least when judging by the apparel we saw out in the communities. They had their markers of what was appropriate and what was not, and they were completely different from ours.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians that God makes a habit of confounding the wisest people by the simplest means. Meaning - sometimes things just don't make sense in God's economy. He can act, and usually does, contrary to our culture, our worldviews, and our interpretations of circumstances and events. When making a decision, scriptural principles must always take precedence over cultural norms. Going back to the case of how to dress, scripture instructs us to be modest - both in the cut and the quality of our clothing. We are also to be sensitive to how our behaviors edify others or cause them to stumble. And scripture tells us to clothe ourselves in some specific spiritual garments which are of more value than the physical - humility, the armor of our salvation, purity and righteousness.
Brother Lawrence, as he has been immortalized in the devotional classic, "The Practice of the Presence of God", was a wonderful example of someone who thoroughly integrated his spiritual life into the everyday exercises of his natural life. And this is because he saw even natural daily activities as opportunities for spiritual reflection and growth. It should be natural for a Child of God to consider His instructions in making everyday decisions. Oswald Chambers has said, "Just as you cannot take a day off morally and still be a moral person, so you cannot take a day off spiritually and be a spiritual person."
Simple Will does not stand alone as a decision making paradigm if you are a Christian. The reason for this is inside of us. The Holy Spirit guides us in ways we do not see, calling to mind scriptural principles [The Scriptural Will] that play into how we interpret daily tasks and events, and how we perform them. And this is important. Apart from the Spirit's intercession and interruptions, we will not know God's Specific Will for a situation, should He need us to act in a particular way. But in daily walking with God in wisdom and all truth, we will be better prepared to hear a still, small voice, to react to a closed or opened door, or to take a leap of faith that exceeds our human wisdom.
posted by Joanna | 10:58 AM
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