God's Will

Christianese 101: Say “I just want to do God’s will.” Repeat obnoxiously, perhaps adding “God’s will” to different clauses.

Ok, ok, maybe that’s a little cynical, but lately I’ve been running into this type of mentality quite often. I’ll be chatting with somebody about an impending decision, and he will throw out the statement above. He doesn’t even want to weigh the options, because God’s will is something mysterious and transcendental that we have to mediate. God forbid you choose the wrong college, because His will for your life will be derailed! I get the impression that this person views God as a puppeteer, controlling every movement and molecule in the Universe. The logical conclusion of this belief is that God is going to end up throwing a tea party for his favorite stuffed animals and leave all of the ones he doesn’t want to rot and burn. I don’t think this view is very comforting, even if you are lucky enough to be one of the chosen. This God doesn’t really seem to fit with reality, at least as we know it, and more importantly with much of God’s nature as it is described in the Bible.

Now, I may be wrong (and your mom might think I’m a heretic), but give me a break. I think God gave us brains for a reason. I think we unnecessarily limit God when we think that His will can only be achieved by His constant control over every iota. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating that God isn’t present. On the contrary, I believe God sustains creation. The difference is subtle, but tangible. Control assumes that yes, there appears to be a game, but God is controlling both sides, or is able to undo certain moves. It’s like playing chess on the computer. I never lose a game because Ctr+Z is there for me whenever something doesn’t go the way I want. On the other hand, God’s sustaining act is akin to playing a game with the game’s inventor. The game wouldn’t exist without him, yet he allows you to engage in the game. Everything is ultimately his, but you are still free to do what you will inside of the guidelines.

The idea I’m trying to get at is that God is able to work His will out of the natural events of the world, because it is ultimately His. He made the rules and the pieces, but he also made players. This opens up an almost infinite number of possibilities, and also creates an equal number of problems, some of which have been brought up in class. I’m not going to offer any answers to the questions (I’ve been ranting long enough), but I think that the new problems are not as, well, problematic as a God who plays favorites with objects (I don’t feel that they can be called beings if they lack free will) that have no say whatsoever, but are capable of experiencing the pain of rejection.