Among many Christians, "God's will"
has become a popular catchphrase. When expecting something desirable to
happen, some are inclined to say, "I am not sure if God would approve
of this"; in reality, however, they are hoping that God will
accomplish what they have already planned. In a situation of decision
making, others often say, "I don't know what God's will is."
They imply that if only a sign would come from God, this divine revelation
would expel their doubts and solve their problems at last. Thus "God's
will" has become a convenient device that covers many Christians'
secrets and shields their uncertainty; it has become a useful expression
that absolves them from awkwardness and excuses them from a lack of
confidence.
This careless use of the concept of "God's
will," however, raises some serious questions. Is God's will so
opaque or mysterious that we Christians have no way to understand what it
is? Is it God's purpose that humans remain in ignorance so that He can
manifest His divine majesty? If that is the case, then how do we carry out
His teachings and become true believers? Further, can we use "God's
will" as our guide in every situation? Can it be applied to our
personal affairs, or is it more of a general principle by which we conduct
ourselves? How do we tell the particular from the general, and what does
this distinction mean? These are indeed important questions that deserve
our careful reflection.
The Kingdom of God
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs His audience to pray in
the right way. He bids them not to "heap up empty phrases,"
because that is what the unbelievers tend to do and because God already
knows what humans have in mind before they present their requests to Him (Mt 6:7-8). Instead, Jesus teaches those who pray to hallow God's name
first and then to wish that His kingdom will soon arrive. This wish in
prayer is to see God's will quickly done "on earth as it is in
heaven" (Mt 6:10). Afterward they can ask for such earthly needs as
daily bread, peace, and prosperity (Mt 6:11-13). Jesus' instructions
here are reinforced by His later statement, "strive first for the
kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given
to you as well" (Mt 6:33). Here Jesus consciously informs us that God's
will and human will are two different things. Although what humans want
may not necessarily go against God's wishes, His will is obviously more
magnificent in scope and serious in content."God's will" is first and foremost related
to the kingdom of God. When Jesus began His earthly ministry, He urgently
proclaimed: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come
near; repent, and believe in the good news" (Mk 1:15). His mission
was to fulfill God's will, and so through His teachings he revealed the
kingdom of God to His listeners. Jesus worked unswervingly to accomplish
the will of His Father, which he was entrusted with (Jn 5:30). He was so
devoted to realizing this goal that He eventually sacrificed His life in
obedience to God's plan of salvation (Heb 10:5-9).
The kingdom of God represents the state in which God's
will and power reign supreme. It is a spiritual realm where only those who
observe God's commands can enter and reside. When we pray to God,
"Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," we are wishing
that God's truth will dwell in our human world without any hindrance
from our selfish desires. And by praying that this state will soon take
place, we show our willingness to sacrifice and observe what God instructs
us to do.
On one occasion when Jesus' family members went to
see Him, He took the opportunity to teach His immediate followers that His
true brothers and sisters were those who did the will of God (Mk 3:35;
Mt 12:50). It was not Jesus' intention to deny His kinsmen; rather, He
wanted to show that to establish a spiritual family is such serious
business that only those absolutely committed are qualified to do so. If
brothers and sisters of flesh and blood are precious, how much more so are
those who constitute the kingdom of God? This level of commitment means
that not everyone who calls upon God’s name, or even prophesies or
performs miracles in God's name, can enter His kingdom. As Jesus
emphatically asserted, "only the one who does the will of my
Father" can eventually enter (Mt 7:21).
Eternal Life
It is God's will to grant eternal life to those who believe in
Jesus, as the Gospel of John unequivocally testifies (Jn 6:40). Still,
what is the content of "God's will"? It seems that God does
not often give divine instruction to an individual with respect to
personal matters such as buying a house, choosing a school, or investing
in a business. Instead, divine revelation mostly goes to those affairs
that are connected to "God's will"-that is, holy work
related to the establishment of the kingdom of God. For example, the
vision that Peter saw in Joppa instructed him to receive Gentiles as
Christians (Acts 10:9-16), and the one revealed to Paul in Troas urged him
to spread the gospel to Macedonia (Acts 16:9). But the Bible also mentions
spiritual qualities that characterize "God's will," which we
as true believers should comprehend. We can take the miracle that happened
to Mary, the mother of Jesus, as a good illustration.When the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would
bear Jesus the Savior, she accepted God's will with gladness and
humility (Lk 1:26-38). Elizabeth, Mary's relative, called her a blessed
woman because of her belief and willingness (Lk 1:45). Then, by the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Mary praised the Lord, describing the
great things that God has done for those who obey and fear him (Lk
1:46-55). She pointed out God's great mercy, as He repeatedly took care
of Israel according to His covenant with Abraham. Significantly, this
mercy was offered only to the lowly, the hungry, and the poor. God not
only never showed His mercy to the proud, the rich, and the powerful, but
He even brought His harsh judgment upon them. This seems to go against the
common human understanding of what it means to receive God's blessings
on earth, but in this way "God's will" opens up a new order
that welcomes those humble in spirit, pure in heart, and responsive to God's
calling in time of need.
Justice & Mercy
The case of Mary highlights the spiritual qualities that God revealed
many times in the biblical tradition. For instance, in reproaching the
social ills of his days, the prophet Micah pronounced God's judgment by
emphasizing that what the Lord wanted was clear and straightforward:
"to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God" (Mic
6:8). And these same social ethics and religious demands had been revealed
to the ancient Israelites through the Mosaic laws long before. God never
changed His mind, nor did He ever make His will mysterious; He always
wanted His chosen people to obey His commandments and practice them with a
spirit of humility and mercy. It was humans who twisted "God's
will" and made it seem mysterious, in order to cater to their own
selfish needs.
In this light, it is important to note that "God's
will" essentially refers to justice and mercy, the two attributes
that best characterize God's nature-and therefore we should strive in
our daily lives to put these concepts into action. The Apostle Paul
further expanded the will of God to include "what is good and
acceptable and perfect" (Rom 12:2). In other words, we need to
recognize and accept "God's will" as those things that lead to
the establishment of the kingdom of God. Paul encourages us to discern
them carefully with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, so that we can be
participants in God's good work.
Virtuous Conduct
"God's will" not only indicates a spiritual quality but
also points to the living contexts that require our moral decision. The
author of Hebrews admonishes us to be "complete in everything
good" so that we can fulfill "God's will" (Heb 13:21). He
emphasizes the fact that "God's will" is not something
abstract; instead, it is intimately related to our conduct. In First
Thessalonians, the apostle Paul pinpoints a number of specific things we
can do. He mentions that Jesus has called His redeemed ones to form a
special community, which is holy and just. Therefore the believers should
abstain from fornication, exercise control over their passions, and behave
justly toward each other. These moral requirements are the will of God,
and they distinguish us from unbelievers (1 Thess 4:1-8).
Furthermore, Paul lists other ethical actions that
fulfill the will of God: "respect those who [labor in the church],
[maintain] peace [in the church community], admonish the idlers, encourage
the faint-hearted,...seek to do good to one another,…rejoice always,
pray without ceasing, [and] give thanks in all circumstances" (1
Thess 5:12-18). These virtues show God's nature in concrete situations,
and they remind us of the importance to be doers instead of merely hearers
of the gospel.
Jesus testified that He came to serve humanity, not to
be served by it (Mk 10:45). For the sake of God's kingdom, He even
sacrificed His life on the cross (Gal 1:4; Phil 2:6-8). He also instructed
His disciples to emulate His example because that was "God’s
will" (Mk 9:35, 10:42-44). Therefore, if we wish to do "God's
will," we should humble ourselves and serve others. That is why at
the beginning of every epistle to the church community, Paul always
identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ "by the will of
God" (1 Cor 1:1; 2 Cor 1:1; Eph 1:1; Col 1:1; 2 Tim
1:1). He means
that he is God's servant, called to build the kingdom of God on earth.
We need this same humility and willing spirit to serve if we want to
qualify as God's workers in helping to build His kingdom.
Our personal requests to God may be important or even
urgent on many occasions, but they may not always be related to "God's
will." God certainly does not look down upon our reasonable prayers,
because He understands our human weaknesses. But our tendency to use
"God's will" as a convenience often trivializes its
seriousness. A careful reading of the Bible should give us more insight
into what "God's will" really means. If we pray to God based
on a right understanding and with the accompanying right actions, He will
listen to us. As the Gospel of John teaches us, "Now we know that God
does not hear sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His
will, He hears him" (Jn 9:31). May we all worship God, obey His will,
and be participants in His kingdom, on earth and in heaven. |
