SIMPLE TRUTH: LOSING THE WILL

"God's will?", she said, "What do you mean?" 

I answered, "I mean, The Will of God."

"You mean like a will.  Like people leave a will when they die?" 

"Well, sorta.  But no.  I mean God has written down what His will is but it isn't called a "Will" in the legal sense, though it is His Law. Actually.. the word "testament" means something like a will.  But.. It's all in the Bible. God's will is what we know is God's desire in any situation we face.  We ask Him, 'Lord, what is Your will for me in this situation?'  God's will is God's desire for this situation. His will. His plan. So then, you might consider asking yourself, "What is God's will for me concerning this difficult season in my marriage?" 

She said, "I have no earthly idea what you are talking about." 

At my age, it takes a lot to shock me, but her words SHOCKED me.

I wouldn't have been quite so surprised and dumbfounded if I was having this conversation with a woman who had just landed on earth from the Planet Xqmantiansosxept and had never heard a sermon and never owned a Bible.

You would never have guessed this woman is a forty-three year old suburban wife and mother who teaches Children's Church to fourth graders every Sunday morning in a HUGE evangelical church.  She had contacted me after hearing me speak at a Women's Event at her church.  She and her husband were having HORRIFIC problems, according to her. Although I told her that she should speak to her pastor rather than to me, I politely listened to her go on and on about her various marital problems.

As I listened I understood that her primary problem is that she wanted her husband to do what she wanted him to do when ever she wanted him to do it.

I mean seriously, who doesn't?  Who doesn't want the people around us to do whatever we want whenever we want them to do it?  We know that isn't reality. And we accept that we will not always get our way in life.

For her...there were no significant issues.  He was a nice guy married to a nice woman.She was slightly bratty.  He was slightly unaware of how to please his wife.  Nothing a little prayer couldn't fix. A little time in the Presence of the Lord.

As she spoke, Bible verses kept popping in to my mind.  Scriptures like, 

"In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."  

(1 Thessalonians 5:18) 

and

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." 

(Matthew 7:21)

and

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 

(Luke 22:42)

She explained to me that she had NEVER heard one person - (according to her) - ever teach her that God has a will, and that He expects His children to find it.. and then DO IT.   Not her pastor.  Not her pastor's wife.  None of the people she attended church with.  

"Do you know that Jesus explained that He had come to earth to do the will of His Father?", I asked her.  "Do you understand that when faced with death on the Cross, it was His desire to do God's will that caused Him to bear our sin?"

Anyway... she did not know... and/or care about doing God's will.

She did not WANT to give thanks in everything. 

She did not WANT to forgive.

She didn't want God's will.

She wanted her own.

We finished our conversation.  I explained to her that her pastor was the one they needed to speak to.  She said she would contact him.

That day I realized that some people live their whole Christian life never even considering that they should bend their will to God's will.  And that some people think God has a lot of nerve wanting His will to be done in their lives.  And that many Christian church goers have no idea that "No, Lord" is an oxymoron. 

Can you believe that?

So.. for today... let's just acknowledge that you CAN find something to thank God for. You can.  Life may be very challenging for you right now.. but 1 Thessalonians 5:18 gives you SIMPLE TRUTH from God's PERSPECTIVE.  In everything. In. Every. Thing.

GIVE THANKS.

Why?

It's God's will concerning you.

It's God's will for you to give thanks.

And what is happening is God's will concerning YOU.

Can you see?

Thank Him.

Can you breathe?

Thank Him.

Did you eat today?

Thank Him.

Do you have a bed to sleep in?

Thank Him.

Can you walk?

Thank Him.

 Thanks for reading.  As you can see, Mrs. Older is back writing these blogs again.

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XO...