I dare you...
Too much lately, it seems to me, there is a mood, a common school of thought, a teaching by attitude if not by word that ‘It is what it is because it is the will of God. Accept it and learn to see God in it.’ There is a resignation, a subjection, a surrender, a whatever will be will be, an ‘oh well’, or a ‘well,.. Amen’. On some levels this seems like wise counsel. Like truth. But, I wonder....
There is a pre-supposition here. That God is ‘in control’. This is a crazy statement that harks back to the previous post. Is God ‘in control’ in the sense that we understand that statement, or does ‘in control’ mean something completely different? God is certainly ABLE to control every situation. But is He, in fact, IN control of every situation? Is everything that happens to us something that God himself has orchestrated, planned out, and ‘willed’ for us? This is the pre-supposition of ‘it is what it is, ...etc.’ This is a dangerous teaching. Subtle... but dangerous. It has the appearance of wisdom...but....
I can tell you with absolute certainty that God is not always ‘in control’ of my life. God has ‘surrendered’ control to me. I can be as horrible, as mean, as manipulative, as hurtful, as selfish, as I want to be. He allows it, not because it is his will that I be awful, but because it is his will that I be free to choose. This is true of every human on planet earth.
In Genesis, God gave ‘dominion’ over the earth to mankind. What does ‘dominion’ mean? Ownership? Control? Authority?? God ‘surrendered’ control, again, to me. I, in turn, surrendered it to the serpent... It is rightfully mine because God gave it to me, but I, in my foolishness, surrendered it to the serpent. So, who has ‘control’ now? (These are big questions, I know...) When I repented of my foolishness, I got ‘control’ back, and I choose now, on a moment by moment basis if I will a.) remain ‘in control,’ b.) surrender my control back to the serpent, or, c.) best option... give it back to God. When I give it back to God, I can rightfully take it back at any moment. It is mine to do with what I please. He does not hold on to it. I believe that only when I give ‘control’ back to God, is He actually, truly ‘in control’, and this may only be for an instant. This is true of every human on the planet.
Could it be that a situation ‘is what it is’ because I have made poor choices; because I have either remained ‘in control’ or surrendered control to the serpent, perhaps for most of my life?? Could it be ‘what it is’ because someone else is exercising their right to be awful, not because it is God’s will they be awful, but because it is God’s will they be free to choose? Many, many things that happen are NOT the will of God. The statement ‘it is what it is because it IS the will of God’ could possibly be true at some level... but it is not the TRUTH, the whole TRUTH, and nothing but the TRUTH! Be careful little ears what you hear!!
I would dare to say that very little of what we are currently experiencing is actually the ‘will’ of God. What God wills for us is ALWAYS better. ALWAYS better!
Dare to HOPE for something better! Dare to know that what God ‘wills’ for you is better than what you have now! Dare to know that God’s will is ‘good, perfect, and pleasing’! That God’s plan is to prosper you, and not to harm you, to give you HOPE and a FUTURE!!
Be careful who’s ‘will’ you surrender to...
THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE on earth as it is in heaven. Let it be so!
There is a pre-supposition here. That God is ‘in control’. This is a crazy statement that harks back to the previous post. Is God ‘in control’ in the sense that we understand that statement, or does ‘in control’ mean something completely different? God is certainly ABLE to control every situation. But is He, in fact, IN control of every situation? Is everything that happens to us something that God himself has orchestrated, planned out, and ‘willed’ for us? This is the pre-supposition of ‘it is what it is, ...etc.’ This is a dangerous teaching. Subtle... but dangerous. It has the appearance of wisdom...but....
I can tell you with absolute certainty that God is not always ‘in control’ of my life. God has ‘surrendered’ control to me. I can be as horrible, as mean, as manipulative, as hurtful, as selfish, as I want to be. He allows it, not because it is his will that I be awful, but because it is his will that I be free to choose. This is true of every human on planet earth.
In Genesis, God gave ‘dominion’ over the earth to mankind. What does ‘dominion’ mean? Ownership? Control? Authority?? God ‘surrendered’ control, again, to me. I, in turn, surrendered it to the serpent... It is rightfully mine because God gave it to me, but I, in my foolishness, surrendered it to the serpent. So, who has ‘control’ now? (These are big questions, I know...) When I repented of my foolishness, I got ‘control’ back, and I choose now, on a moment by moment basis if I will a.) remain ‘in control,’ b.) surrender my control back to the serpent, or, c.) best option... give it back to God. When I give it back to God, I can rightfully take it back at any moment. It is mine to do with what I please. He does not hold on to it. I believe that only when I give ‘control’ back to God, is He actually, truly ‘in control’, and this may only be for an instant. This is true of every human on the planet.
Could it be that a situation ‘is what it is’ because I have made poor choices; because I have either remained ‘in control’ or surrendered control to the serpent, perhaps for most of my life?? Could it be ‘what it is’ because someone else is exercising their right to be awful, not because it is God’s will they be awful, but because it is God’s will they be free to choose? Many, many things that happen are NOT the will of God. The statement ‘it is what it is because it IS the will of God’ could possibly be true at some level... but it is not the TRUTH, the whole TRUTH, and nothing but the TRUTH! Be careful little ears what you hear!!
I would dare to say that very little of what we are currently experiencing is actually the ‘will’ of God. What God wills for us is ALWAYS better. ALWAYS better!
Dare to HOPE for something better! Dare to know that what God ‘wills’ for you is better than what you have now! Dare to know that God’s will is ‘good, perfect, and pleasing’! That God’s plan is to prosper you, and not to harm you, to give you HOPE and a FUTURE!!
Be careful who’s ‘will’ you surrender to...
THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE on earth as it is in heaven. Let it be so!
posted by toomanywhatifs at
12:37 PM
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