Discerning God's Will
Icon of Jesus by Tobias Haller, BSG
What makes us able to do the things we do?
Is it talent or skill? Are we born able or do we have to learn how before we can do?
'I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.' - John 5:30
In today's lesson from John's Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples all he can do is given to him from the Father.
He goes on to say that what he judges, what he decides on in this life is just because of his intention. By seeking to do the will of the father, he is on the right path, and that outcome will be just.
That type of talk can be frightening to us, especially today, when so many are professing to do God's will. We like to think we are masters of our own fate, and through our free will, we take control of the judgements we make.
We own them.
I don't believe it is possible for us to suppress our will completely. Whatever we do, no matter how hard we try to stay focused on the purpose to which God has given us, we cannot separate ourselves from our own desires and intentions. We are our own obstacles to grace, putting ourselves in the path of God's will.
We can't help it. It is part of the design. In order for us to be free to choose, we need to be able to deny God control.
So, when Jesus tells his disciples that he can and does release his will, we should be asking "How?"
What is the path to being able to do that? How can we give up our selves totally, and open ourselves up to God's will, seeing His purpose in us clearly and definitively?
It is a process of discernment, and it is one we cannot do alone. We need help.
The challenge lies in finding the right people to help us, so that we are not opening ourselves up to the wrong influences. Those involved in the discernment process know to ask questions and listen carefully to the answers, rather than plant seeds.
To discern is not to judge, but to bear witness to the discovery of God's call. What is it you hear when God speaks to you? How do you know it is true?
These are the types of questions that hep us release our own judgments and open ourselves to the presence of God in our lives.
If you are asked to be a member of a discernment committee, to help someone determine his or her calling, consider yourself blessed. But also consider this. You have influence and you need to make sure your intent is free of your own will.
In other words, to help someone become free to do the will of God, one must free himself of his own will as well.
This is why we need each other. We need to pray and worship together to gain each other's trust, and to learn how to do what we find so impossible to do - to love one another.
When we discover how to do that, our judgments will be right, because we will be doing the will of the one who sent us.
More to come...