The will of God can be a difficult concept for modern people. We are very suspicious of anything that seems to take away personal control and liberty. The will of God may also be laden with unhappy connotations. It may have been offered as a way of explaining something incomprehensible, such as the sudden death of a loved one. Sometimes it has been used to keep people confined to a tradition. Words like surrender and submission come into play and make us even more apprehensive.
In contrast to our trepidations, the will of God is expansive and infinitely creative. It’s not a prescribed set of activities. There are endless possibilities within the will of God. When one chooses the will of God, one is participating in all that is true, beautiful, and good. The will of God is gracious and trustworthy. Most people acknowledge God as the creator and upholder of all that we know of life and reality. It only stands to reason that God’s way embraces all that is found to be in harmony with greater life and deeper reality. God’s will is the way that leads to a better life and true happiness.
The will of God is actually freeing. It feels like a burden has been lifted when we realize that all we have to do today is God’s will. We no longer feel trapped by our own ways of dealing with life. We are no longer imprisoned by selfish desires and priorities. God’s will puts everything into manageable perspective. This can come as a relief to modern people who are burdened with confusing and complex decisions. We don’t have to feel bound by the expectations of other people and the slavish attention to the endless details of modern life.
Holding the desire to do God’s will in your mind is less complicated than a series of rules. His will is the steady focus. There is no longer a need to be carefully mindful of disciplines, procedures, plans, and behavior. God knows the perfect path for you. Doing the will of God is the full and complete answer. The wholehearted desire to do God’s will is the answer that solves all problems.
Doing the will of God is the great mystery of religious life. How can it be that, in surrendering our desires to his will, our higher desires are made manifest? Why is it that, when we lay down our own will and accept God’s will for our own, we find true freedom? Other religious mysteries pale by comparison to the transformation that takes place when we lay down our will for God’s.
The will of God allows us to move forward one step at a time. It doesn’t push us faster than we are able to go. Our higher desires are strengthened and stabilized. The desire to cleanse our selves of temptation is nurtured through our dedication to the will of God. We’re on our way to becoming balanced and unified.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
Psalm 37:5
