God's Will -- How in the world do I figure out what it is?
I started reading a new book today. I'm a tad nervous about it, b/c it is definitely going to stretch me outside of my comfort zone, and will force me into God's Word to ensure that it is accurate and true. The name of the book is "Getting Serious About Getting Married", and before anyone starts the rumor I'm on a "man hunt", let me explain what the book is about. Well at least as much as I know.
I found out about the book because the author wrote an article for one of my blogs about the "dangers" of churches with singles groups. I had to read it b/c it intrigued me. I've always thought how wonderful it would be if Bethel were to establish a singles group. Just for fun and fellowship. So why was this author saying they were dangerous? So I got the book. I've only read the first chapter, but so far so good. In a nut shell this author truly believes that when it says in Genesis 1:27, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. " that that means that God created "man"--which consists of a man and a woman. Meaning, God did not create man to be alone...but to be with a woman and that most Christians should be married. Singleness is a gift that Paul talks about, but according to this author, this gift should be a much rarer gift then what we are seeing in churches today. While the church is not supposed to "run with society" when it comes to marriages happening later and later in life, we are neck and neck with the world...and this is NOT a good thing! Her problem with singles groups is that she feels that it does not encourage men and women to seek marriage, but insteads postpones it, masking their loneliness in singles events, mixers and bible studies. It's an interesting concept, and like I said I've only read the first chapter, so I'll have to share more later!
But back to that first chapter...that is where I stumbled upon the thought of "God's Will".
Is it truly God's will for me to be single and to remain single. Man have I struggled with that. I want to know what God's will is for so many facets of my life so I can just live it and not wonder if I'm screwing it up all of the time. Of course, if anyone has been in Sunday school recently, that would be a pretty hard thing for me to do, b/c even with my imperfect actions, God's sovereignty always wins. So technically I can't "screw up" my life. But you know what I mean.
So...how do I find out what God's Will is? Its so stinking easy but I am SOOO bad at it! If someone told you that the answer you were looking for required no searching, no digging, no hard work, no frustration...you just had to READ IT...would you do it? The only way for me to know what God's will is is to READ HIS WORD. I can't know God's Will if I'm not willing to just sit at His feet, and just listen in anticipation as He unfolds how He created man and woman, and saved mankind by having Noah build a boat in a "rainless" world, and guided the Isrealites on a 40 year journey that should have taken less then 2, and then used a prostitute, a moabites, and an adulterer to finally send His son to the earth, so that He could eventually allow Himself to be brutally killed for our sins, and then gives us books and books about how to live our "new" lives. How do I keep missing this? Why do I honestly believe that an extra 40 minutes of "sleep" while my alarm goes off every 8 minutes is worth more then this? Why do I honestly believe that just sending one more email at night is worth skipping sitting at the feet of the one who WANTS to show me HIS will? How can I remember EVERY night to plug in my cell phone so that it is charged for the next morning, but can't remember to put out my bible so that it is the FIRST thing I pick up when waking up?
I'm so ashamed of myself.
I'll tell you more about the book later!
I found out about the book because the author wrote an article for one of my blogs about the "dangers" of churches with singles groups. I had to read it b/c it intrigued me. I've always thought how wonderful it would be if Bethel were to establish a singles group. Just for fun and fellowship. So why was this author saying they were dangerous? So I got the book. I've only read the first chapter, but so far so good. In a nut shell this author truly believes that when it says in Genesis 1:27, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. " that that means that God created "man"--which consists of a man and a woman. Meaning, God did not create man to be alone...but to be with a woman and that most Christians should be married. Singleness is a gift that Paul talks about, but according to this author, this gift should be a much rarer gift then what we are seeing in churches today. While the church is not supposed to "run with society" when it comes to marriages happening later and later in life, we are neck and neck with the world...and this is NOT a good thing! Her problem with singles groups is that she feels that it does not encourage men and women to seek marriage, but insteads postpones it, masking their loneliness in singles events, mixers and bible studies. It's an interesting concept, and like I said I've only read the first chapter, so I'll have to share more later!
But back to that first chapter...that is where I stumbled upon the thought of "God's Will".
Is it truly God's will for me to be single and to remain single. Man have I struggled with that. I want to know what God's will is for so many facets of my life so I can just live it and not wonder if I'm screwing it up all of the time. Of course, if anyone has been in Sunday school recently, that would be a pretty hard thing for me to do, b/c even with my imperfect actions, God's sovereignty always wins. So technically I can't "screw up" my life. But you know what I mean.
So...how do I find out what God's Will is? Its so stinking easy but I am SOOO bad at it! If someone told you that the answer you were looking for required no searching, no digging, no hard work, no frustration...you just had to READ IT...would you do it? The only way for me to know what God's will is is to READ HIS WORD. I can't know God's Will if I'm not willing to just sit at His feet, and just listen in anticipation as He unfolds how He created man and woman, and saved mankind by having Noah build a boat in a "rainless" world, and guided the Isrealites on a 40 year journey that should have taken less then 2, and then used a prostitute, a moabites, and an adulterer to finally send His son to the earth, so that He could eventually allow Himself to be brutally killed for our sins, and then gives us books and books about how to live our "new" lives. How do I keep missing this? Why do I honestly believe that an extra 40 minutes of "sleep" while my alarm goes off every 8 minutes is worth more then this? Why do I honestly believe that just sending one more email at night is worth skipping sitting at the feet of the one who WANTS to show me HIS will? How can I remember EVERY night to plug in my cell phone so that it is charged for the next morning, but can't remember to put out my bible so that it is the FIRST thing I pick up when waking up?
I'm so ashamed of myself.
I'll tell you more about the book later!
posted by KB at 3:34 PM
1 Comments:
man.... somebody should write on their blog about that whole cell phone / Bible comparison!
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