So many times we struggle with the Will of God for our lives. I am grieved when I see Christians almost in pain as they search for the Will of God in a situation or for direction. At those times it seems the harder we try the more illusive the answers become.
One of the most liberating things I leaned in study of the Bible, especially in the New Testament, the Greek word Will often means desire. Because the aim and personal purpose of my life is to know the heart of my Heavenly Father, He graciously gives me insights from time to time. I have found passion is the pathway to His heart!
The word desire was one of those precious gems the Holy Spirit put in my heart and revelation for how that applied to my life. If I believe that God’s Will is only one way, and that I must find it or fail, there is great stress over my life, my decisions. If I think and believe that if I violate His Will I have sinned against the Father, I am an open door for guilt and shame.
When I learned this I looked up the words and marked most of them in my Bible (New Testament) so I would not forget. There are several places where the Will of God is absolute; whatever is indicated will take place regardless of what we do or not do.
But where the word will is desire, it took on a whole new meaning for me. For instance out of the goodness of His Heart our Heavenly Father has a ‘desire’ that all would choose to invite Jesus into their heart and be relational for eternity. The desires of His Heart are for our protection and well being always! So as I read the verses with the word Will and substitute desire and read it again, I see the love God has for me and/or His effort to protect me.
Sometimes we seem to forget the power we have in ‘free will’ and our decisions and the decisions of others that determine our destiny. If we line up our desires (our free will) with the desires of God’s heart–we will both be happy!
God’s determined Will is daunting and seems like a law and tends to make us think legalistically instead of relationally. Fear of not doing the Willof God puts confusion in our mind, and makes it even harder to make good decisions. A Holy fear of God is a reverential respect for Him and awe of Him, not terror or dread.
When we sin, do something that is contrary to the desires of God’s heart, He is always there to forgive us and start us all over again. Sin is doing anything contrary to the will or desires of God that will hurt us or others. Getting to know the Father, asking to know, really know His heart is so beneficial and productive. As we experience Him we can share with others.
As we receive (and that too takes a decision on our part) the love of the Father in our life, we have greater capacity to love others. If we were not loved by our earthly father it is even harder to trust our Heavenly Father. I personally had a foster father and several step-fathers. All of them (fortunately) loved me, but left me, through no fault of their own. But it left me with fears and doubts about trusting my Heavenly Father.
I had to renew my mind (through repentance of not receiving, asking for the grace to receive and to renew my mind about all the Bible says about the love of God) to how much He really does love me. I am not too sure of my performance in life, but very sure of His Grace (unmerited love and favor) on my behalf, that I can rest in Him, knowing He will not forsake or leave me, (once I have invited Jesus into my heart) or give up on me in my darkest hours.
I just love to inject the word ‘desire’ in scriptures about God’s will, and see the joy it brings to my heart. That is a confirmation from the Holy Spirit! Desire just screams kindness, mercy and love! That is the Will of God, that we know His goodness, walk and talk and have our being in Him!
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