How Is God's Will Relevant In Today's World?

I asked my most attentive reader to give me some ideas to write about.  She did!  I will take her suggestions in parts.

1) “My thoughts relate to how to take the messages into today’s living.”   

I will, as always, refer to the message that Jesus came to tell us about God’s Will.   And I can safely say that any, and all, of Jesus’ teaching can and do relate to any age in history.   I say this because all of his teachings are just basic everyday rules of thumb.  The things we all learned early on in our  childhood development.  

The only confusion, about Jesus’ teaching, may be the parables. It is in those stories that the context and culture of ancient time could become unclear.  At the same time, I might have to disagree with myself.  Because all of Jesus’ parables are not so uncommon issues in todays world. 

We just need to think a bit harder as to the connection between the then common cultural differences and the actual point being made.

2) “Your solution of prayer reminds me to breathe in peace and be thoughtful (prayerful) and aware each day.  A fine place to begin a day.”

Prayer, whether done in the quiet of the morning, or when driving the car, or in the midst of a heated conversation, or walking in the woods on a sunny afternoon is always good.  I will actually say, it is smart.

No matter the culture, context, language nor the time in history that you live; prayers is something that can ground you and quiet your muddled mind.  At least that is what it does for me.  

Prayer always reminds me that God is in the mix of life.  No matter if I am praying for someone else, or the world situation, or personal decision my prayer always ends:  “Only your will be done.”   

Another prayer I consistently use is: “Thank You.”  Thank You reminds me that, no matter what happens, God will take care of creating order out of the confusion.  Thank You, because I know that God is so much wiser than me. 

Prayer is my source of strength.

3) “Perhaps my challenge is that I believe God has given us (me) some responsibility.”

Well, I would agree.  God has indeed given you some responsibility.  He gives all of us responsibility.  We have the explicit responsibility of caring for the earth — all of creation — our neighbor,  our environment, our thinking and opinions, our actions just to name a few. 

I you want to use the first chapter of Genesis as a guide.   God made the human, male and female, to take care of everything God had made.  That is a huge order to fill.  

26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” 27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” 29 Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. 30 And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened (Genesis 1)

Jesus told of our responsibility in this way:  

12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.(John 14)

The trick is for us to figure our what our particular job is.  

That is, we have all been given one or two specific gifts, to use specifically, for actively living in the world, as God asks.

We are not expected to be proficient in every thing needed.  

What I often invite people to do is to think about the thing, or things, that come quite naturally to them.  Things they don’t think of as all that special.  Those are usually the gifts God has given us to do the work needed.

  

Is It True That God Has A Plan For Each One Of Us?

This is the question I found, waiting for me, when I opened my email yesterday:

“Where in the Bible does it say God has a plan for each of us?”

I want to walk around a direct answer for a moment.  The idea that God has a plan, for each of us individually, is a popular notion.  Books, poetry, movies and Television shows have been written about it.

One of my particular favorites is the movie Simon Birch.  About an unusual little person who had an odd appearance and different kind of behavior.  Simon believed that he had a God-given purpose.  He was convinced of it.  And in the end he proved himself correct.

There is a strong argument for this understanding of God’s plan for each individual.  Because God does want all of us to use our natural gifts to do his bidding in the world around us.

However, there is something disconcerting about the thought that God has us all on marionette string controlled from on high.  And, if I am not mistaken, it says  as much throughout the Bible.  The message is that we are to  make a difference.  That we are all given our own gifts to offer o the whole of God’s people

Another way of saying this is that God didn’t clone humankind.  He didn’t make us all the same with all the same purpose.  

The Apostle Paul says it this way:

1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift…… 11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love. (Eph. 4)

Yes God has a “plan” for each and every individual. And this is the plan:

each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift…… the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.

The answer to your question is yes!  

Yes God has a plan for all of his, very different and individually equipped, children.  Children, no matter how young or old you are.  

The plan has been clear from the very beginning of time.  That all human creatures live together in the love of God.  That all human creatures live their lives caring for, and sharing, all that God has blessed them with.  

We were all — corporately and individually — created to live together in peace and harmony.  

Or my personal favorite:  

8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.(Mic. 6)

One Other Thought About The Message Of The Bible

Another thought is moving through my mind this morning.  It is about the message we hear between the covers of the Bible.  It has to do with our American treasure.  I know it is one of my treasure.  And I am pretty sure it is most Americans treasure.  

Our “in-alienable rights.”

In-alienable rights are defined as something that no one can take away from you.  

During the ancient times, recorded in the Old Testament, people’s right were not so free or personal.  God was the one who called all the shots.  

And the people rebelled.

Just like we do, in this nation, when we disagree with how and why our own rights are being limited..  It happens all the time doesn’t it?  Marches, silent protests, sit-in, filibusters on the floor of congress to name a few.

In the Old Testament the people were told what to do, how to worship, what to sacrifice, and even how to use their time.

During that time the prophets, called by God to speak for him, called all the shots.  And the prophets were not popular people.  During that time it could be God’s fault if life got difficult.  They could blame God.  Read the book of Job if you have a question.

One other clear example was the wilderness grumbling that  God was not providing for them like the "good life" they had in Egypt — in the good old days kind of thing.   

It was God’s fault if they experienced any kind of bad happening.

When God came, in Jesus’ skin, that all changed.  He came to bring us our first in-alienable right.  To believe.   He came to teach us that all we needed to do and know about was the best way to live together and who to believe in.  

And then he left this earth with one very clear message:  Believe it or not!

Believe in a God who loves you more than you could ever love.

Believe in a God who is unconditionally gracious, merciful, compassionate and forgiving.  

A God whose thoughts and way our as far from ours as the east is from the West.  

And by the way, much much wiser.