The Will of God


Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.  Romans 12:2

This world is not our home. Its goals are not our goals, its values not our values. I live in America, but I do not share the American dream. My heart is not set on building wealth or establishing a financial legacy for my family. Of far more importance is the legacy of grace that I am attempting to live into.

This verse in Romans calls us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Our fleshly minds, those we are born with, tend to think of themselves. As we walk with Christ and live life with Him, we watch and are taught to think of others, to see others more highly than ourselves. We are taught to love God and trust Him, even when our fleshly mind doesn’t understand what He is doing. Over time practicing this way of thinking, our mind is renewed. We start to think in new ways. The more we think like this, with the mind of Christ, the more we are able to recognize God’s will.

At first it seems like something can only be God’s will if it “feels” good. Of course physical healing is God’s will! Or is it? Sometimes God can do more good through someone if they do not receive healing. Again, I refer you back to Joni Eareckson Tada. She spent many years after her injury praying for physical healing, thinking that physical healing was good and therefore must be God’s will. But oh how very many lives have been blessed through her NOT being healed! And she sees that! She herself would tell you that not being healed was God’s answer to prayer. Then there’s Nick Vujicic. He and his parents also prayed for healing. And again, what a ministry God has had through him!

Does this mean that physical healing is never God’s will? Definitely not. God still heals. It just means that there is a part of this process that involves, “testing and approving.” We need to be in sync with Jesus, to have the mind of Christ. We need to walk with Him, to talk with Him, to study and learn and grow in Him. The more time we spend with Jesus, the more we recognize Him. When you answer the phone and you hear a loved one’s voice, do you recognize it without having to check the caller ID? It should be the same with Jesus. When we hear Him speak through a stranger we should be like, “I hear you, Jesus!” And when we face a situation, we should look at it through His eyes.

While our flesh may long for healing, our joints long to be pain-free, our muscles long for release, our heart needs to seek His heart and see if that’s where His will is first. This life is a vapor, a mist that is fleeting. It is here today and tomorrow is forgotten. If I can live my pain in such a way that it serves my Savior, I am very glad to. If there is some greater purpose it will serve, some better outcome that can be had than my temporary comfort, I am thankful to be able to sacrifice any number of days.

Here’s the Thing: God’s will is good and well-pleasing and perfect. It will always work out best. I may think my idea is better, I am definitely wrong. Slow down, listen, test and approve what is the will of God. You might be surprised. It will surely be a pleasant surprise if you let it play out fully!

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