The Will of God versus Your Emotions

[justlookin]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

How do you know that you know what the will of God is?

How are you sure that it is the will of God, and not your emotions, or natural wants/needs/desires dictating what you think the will of God is?

That's a hard one sometimes. Personally, I try to look for conformation in a passage of scripture, not one that I'm looking for but one that suddenly shows up at a seemingly random time. Other times another person will confirm what I believe God has spoken to me. Other times, I simply try to obey and trust God to help me out if I'm made a mistake.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by justlookin

That's a hard one sometimes. Personally, I try to look for conformation in a passage of scripture, not one that I'm looking for but one that suddenly shows up at a seemingly random time. Other times another person will confirm what I believe God has spoken to me. Other times, I simply try to obey and trust God to help me out if I'm made a mistake.

Do you think that the will of God could involve a test? Could it be that God's will may actually seem like a very bad, horrid thing to our flesh, and mind, but yet, be His perfect will in accomplishing something greater in us?

The reason I ask this is because we tend to believe we have found "God's will" when all seems good in our lives... the bills are paid, our health is excellent, family is getting along, and we have a lovely home, vacation planned, and so on. Surely this must be God's will... we think.

However, should something terrible enter our lives, say, a death, or the dreaded disease of cancer, or a division in a family, or in the church.... could these be part of God's will too?

[justlookin]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

Do you think that the will of God could involve a test? Could it be that God's will may actually seem like a very bad, horrid thing to our flesh, and mind, but yet, be His perfect will in accomplishing something greater in us?

The reason I ask this is because we tend to believe we have found "God's will" when all seems good in our lives... the bills are paid, our health is excellent, family is getting along, and we have a lovely home, vacation planned, and so on. Surely this must be God's will... we think.

However, should something terrible enter our lives, say, a death, or the dreaded disease of cancer, or a division in a family, or in the church.... could these be part of God's will too?

Yes, I think a testing could be part of God's will at times. For example, about this time last year I had a medical report that was extremely negative. Doctors confirmed it, there was a very very life threatening issue they said. My reaction was to not receive the report, I believed the will of God for my life didn't involve what was being said to me by them. I had promises that were yet unfulfilled, direction in ministry that had not occurred yet and a road ahead that He had put me on that was yet untraveled. All this was God speaking to me, I believe. The report, the testing, was contrary to what God had spoken. So, I chose to believe what God had spoken to me, not what the experts said. Now, almost a year later the critical untreatable, life threatning issue (they said) is nowhere to be found.

That's a very simplified version of my experience. In reality, because of our carnality that battles us, there is a wrestling, a warfare that we must engage in. Did God really speak to me and make those promises, directions, or was it just mental gymnastics? Imagination. Hope without a spiritual basis. I had to decide, literally risking my life (the testing) if I was going to act on what I believed was the voice of God or the reality of the voice of the doctors.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by justlookin

Yes, I think a testing could be part of God's will at times. For example, about this time last year I had a medical report that was extremely negative. Doctors confirmed it, there was a very very life threatening issue they said. My reaction was to not receive the report, I believed the will of God for my life didn't involve what was being said to me by them. I had promises that were yet unfulfilled, direction in ministry that had not occurred yet and a road ahead that He had put me on that was yet untraveled. All this was God speaking to me, I believe. The report, the testing, was contrary to what God had spoken. So, I chose to believe what God had spoken to me, not what the experts said. Now, almost a year later the critical untreatable, life threatning issue (they said) is nowhere to be found.

That's a very simplified version of my experience. In reality, because of our carnality that battles us, there is a wrestling, a warfare that we must engage in. Did God really speak to me and make those promises, directions, or was it just mental gymnastics? Imagination. Hope without a spiritual basis. I had to decide, literally risking my life (the testing) if I was going to act on what I believed was the voice of God or the reality of the voice of the doctors.

That is an miraculous testimony JL... thanks for sharing! Praising the Lord with you for the touch of the Lord through this health battle!

In all reality, as believers, we should be aware that the will of God may take us to places, through places, and in places that don't seem fair, right, or good, but in the end... His will and purpose for it can turn it into the greatest blessing of our lives.

[justlookin]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

That is an miraculous testimony JL... thanks for sharing! Praising the Lord with you for the touch of the Lord through this health battle!

In all reality, as believers, we should be aware that the will of God may take us to places, through places, and in places that don't seem fair, right, or good, but in the end... His will and purpose for it can turn it into the greatest blessing of our lives.

Amen. The decision is whether to trust God in the testings. Surely not an easy and simple thing to do sometimes.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

Do you think that the will of God could involve a test? Could it be that God's will may actually seem like a very bad, horrid thing to our flesh, and mind, but yet, be His perfect will in accomplishing something greater in us?

The reason I ask this is because we tend to believe we have found "God's will" when all seems good in our lives... the bills are paid, our health is excellent, family is getting along, and we have a lovely home, vacation planned, and so on. Surely this must be God's will... we think.

However, should something terrible enter our lives, say, a death, or the dreaded disease of cancer, or a division in a family, or in the church.... could these be part of God's will too?

I think largely, in the culture we came from, we are taught to deny our emotions. It is my belief that the battle for many of us is to recognize our emotions as valid and that that is God's will for us.

Beyond that, I think we have been also taught to try and control God through prayer and our own obedience. It is a challenge to learn to truly trust that God has us in His hands, regardless. My husband had cancer and, as hard as it has been, there have been many blessings in it. I can look back and see where things have worked for good despite the bad. I can't say that of all events in my life though.

When I am trying to find God's will, I look for a place with no condemnation, where I feel good and can trust that God is with me.

There have been times where I have pushed and pushed and pushed, believing something to be God's will.....and I look back and feel I was totally wrong about it. He was still there, but there was damage.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by ILG

There have been times where I have pushed and pushed and pushed, believing something to be God's will.....and I look back and feel I was totally wrong about it. He was still there, but there was damage.

So true. I wonder how many times we mistake the will of God in our lives, when it is really our will we are trying to establish. I'm guilty of the same, many times. I'm still learning, and trying to separate out the difference between what I want, and what He wants.

[shazeep]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

Do you think that the will of God could involve a test? Could it be that God's will may actually seem like a very bad, horrid thing to our flesh, and mind, but yet, be His perfect will in accomplishing something greater in us?

The reason I ask this is because we tend to believe we have found "God's will" when all seems good in our lives... the bills are paid, our health is excellent, family is getting along, and we have a lovely home, vacation planned, and so on. Surely this must be God's will... we think.

However, should something terrible enter our lives, say, a death, or the dreaded disease of cancer, or a division in a family, or in the church.... could these be part of God's will too?

wow, great insights all! since JL replied to the bottom here, and you've gotten some also great stuff for the top (i'm in FL w/parents right now to see if i can pass the 'dad' test this time; having always failed before) i'd like to reply (briefly, sigh) to the middle one, and say that a life of no issues might be God's will for the moment, and may even be a Grace blessing, but may also be a test; the 'prosperity test,' i think it's called. Nothing that needs attention can be a living death. i imagine that i can even see clues of this; cluttered corners the same now as when you last saw the prosperous one, etc.

I'm not sleeping a wink, anyway (part of the test, i'm sure ) so i'm gonna try real hard to catch up here, awesome stuff.