Today I was reflecting with a friend about experiences where we’ve sought God’s will, only to have the situation end in pain and disaster.
There’s lots of good advice about listening to the Holy Spirit or discern God’s will. It boils down to asking a few questions:
- Is it in God’s word?
- Do you “feel called” to do it?
- Do the wise people in your life agree?
This is excellent advice. By asking all three questions you avoid the tyranny one or the other.
But what about when you follow these three, and all signs seem to point to “yes,” but the job opportunity falls through, the relationship explodes, you get rejected? How do you continue to follow God when it seems like he lied to you?
Only one possibility makes sense, but I don’t like it: God is in control of the big picture, the salvation of the world. The small picture is full of people and forces who can mess with each other, and screw things up.
So we do our best to follow God-worshipping him, knowing that we won’t always get what we want. In the end, he has already given us what we need.
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