God’s Will
I’ve noticed that most people with strong religious or spiritual beliefs speak often about God’s Will. They will tell you that they believe in this concept. I’ve also noticed that they believe in it the most when the tragic or unfortunate event is NOT happening to them or their own loved ones.
Thus, they hear about a tragic event or murder that happened to someone else — and say “It must be God’s Will.” But when the illness or death happens to someone in their own family, they seem to lose faith in the concept of God’s Will. They are overcome with feelings of grief and anger — and may go so far as to deny God’s existence.
Of course, none of us (myself included) can know how we would react if a horrible tragedy affected us or our family. The depth of our faith is revealed when we are faced with a shocking event.
This concept of God’s Will is not only relevant when tragedy strikes. We can also examine the application of God’s Will in our everyday lives. For instance, when you’re thinking about whether to move to another location, or take a different job, you may have a sense (through your intuition, a feeling, or a voice that you hear) that God is urging you to make a certain choice.
I’ve always felt that those “whispers” or urgings were God’s way of expressing his Will to me. I’ve never regretted following that voice, although I must confess the road has not always been smooth. Perhaps that was God’s Will.
Here’s another interesting point about God’s Will. Where does prayer fit in? There appears to be a contradiction here. What if it is God’s Will that someone die of an illness – and we are praying for God to save the life of this person? In essence, aren’t we praying for something that is against God’s Will?
I find it difficult to pray for a specific result these days. It’s as if I am telling God how to run things! I prefer to leave the results in God’s hands. I may pray for someone (and their family members) to have strength to accept God’s Will, but I see no reason to ask God to do anything according to MY wishes. I’m not saying everyone should approach it this way, but that is my way of looking at it.
What are your thoughts about the concept of God’s Will? Take a moment today to examine what it means to you. You might find that your views (including your view about whether any of this is of interest to you at all) help to show you where you are on your spiritual journey.
– Jeff Keller
(c) 2007