The Baptist Beacon

Thy Will Be Done?

By Elder Bradley Foster

Indianapolis, IN

John 5:30 "I can of my own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." Seeking the Father's will was the one dominating interest through our Lord's life, and the things He met with on the way, whether it was joy, sorrow, success, or failure, never deterred Him from His purpose. God called Jesus Christ to what seemed to be a life of disaster. Jesus called His disciples to see Him put to death; He led every one of them to the place where their hearts were broken. But what seemed like failure from man's standpoint was a tremendous triumph from God's, because God's purpose is never man's purpose.

Naturally, our goals and ambitions are our own; but in the spiritual realm this is not so. We are not in the army of God to accomplish our own desires, but to seek and find what the great Commander wants of us. Today there is so much said about our decisions for this and that, but in the New Testament the focus is on the calling of God. John 15:16; "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." God does not confer with us on whether we want to go here or there, and then explain to us the purpose. Sometimes we are taken up into God's purpose without any consciousness at all, and it is hard to understand what God is aiming at when He calls, and as we go on, it becomes more and more vague. Sometimes it appears He has missed the mark because we are too short sighted to see the big picture as God sees it. When a person thinks he has it all figured out, he is usually wrong. Our desire should be to do what God asks of us without even questioning why. It is not our business to know why. God will reveal all the hidden things of darkness in due time, but until then it is our duty to Go when He says Go. The call of God in our lives becomes baffling to us and those around us, but the test is to see whether we believe God knows what He is after. The things that happen do not happen by chance, they happen entirely within the providence of God. God is working out His purpose whether we see it or not.

Many a preacher has been maimed spiritually because he has questioned the motives of God. Many have said they do not understand why God has chosen them because they see themselves of no value to Him. That is exactly why he has chosen you. As long as you think there is something in you of worth, He cannot choose you because you have ends of your own to serve; but if you have allowed Him to overcome your self_sufficiency then He will choose you and you will have fulfilled His purpose.

When we analyze preachers or Christians we are prone to notice the natural abilities, and from that judge their worth to the Cause of the Lord. It is not our natural ability or possession that matters, but our poverty. Not what we already have, but what God gives us. It is not a question of natural virtue, of strength of character, knowledge and experience _ none of this will avail with God. The only thing that matters is the Will of God. The preachers who are great in the Lord's sight are those who know their poverty. He can, and will, do nothing with the man who thinks he is of use to God. As Christians, we are not out for our own cause at all, but for the cause of God, which can never be our cause. We do not know what God is after in our lives, but we must maintain our relationship with Him regardless. I will admit that this is very difficult for us. When trouble or sorrows of the world come our way, naturally we question why, but do not worry; Christ has overcome the world. We must never allow anything to injure our relationship with God: if it does get injured we must take the time to make it right. The main theme of Christianity is not how much work we do, but the relationship we maintain and a life that exemplifies that relationship.

When God compels us to do something we start trying to find any justifiable reason not to do what He asks. This is a natural reaction especially when the task seems too difficult. However we must sort through our own feelings and open our hearts to the will of God. God will not send you to do something without providing a sufficient means to accomplish it. Not everything that God asks us to do will end in what the world terms success, but for everything there is a purpose. Take Abraham for instance. God called him to sacrifice his son. He did not know why, nor did he question why; Even as God had already promised him that in Isaac his seed would be blessed. Yet he lead his son into the land of Moriah. Abraham did not know the purpose but since that time the world has been blessed realizing what the purpose was. I have found that I sleep much better at night just doing what He tells me, rather than worrying about the why.