Friday, October 23, 2015

Becoming Aware of and Doing God’s Will

BIG things are the small things we never think are important, but are. The biggest things are always incredibly minute. Read the quote below and interact with the wisdom-of-obedience it commends us to:
“If, then, you wish to live a good life, keep watch over your will continually in great and small things alike — both in those things which are in your own control, and in things which are not — lest it swerve in any degree from the right way.”
— ANSELM (1033 – 1109)
The right way: God’s will is the right way. There is nothing more important. There’s nothing else important. The right way.
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When we abide in him as he abides in us — imagery of Jesus speaking through the words of John chapter 15 — we see that we’re led by the Holy Spirit to do things a certain way. This certain way is always respectful of others and courteously discerning. We might pray, “What would Jesus do?” But, equally, we could, by prayer, attend mindfully to the will of God in our circumstance simply by imagining the Holy Spirit there inside us, actually present with us. We would hardly do an abominable thing if we knew someone were watching; imagine how additionally studious we’d be if we knew God sees all, from the inside — from within as only we can see.
We carry about ourselves this treasure in our earthen vessel. We’re broken and so apt to stray. Yet we have this precious piece, a parcel of God, inside us who seeks us, seeking us to abide, to listen, to do as we’re led. God permeates us perfectly by his Spirit.
This treasure that is the Holy Spirit leads us in the right way — and many possible junctures of rightness are possible.
We may or may not do the right thing whether we’re in control or not. Our will must join with God’s if we’re to do the right thing in little and large matters; in matters within and out of our control.
The outworking of our faith bears little consequence other than our obedience to God’s will. Our sensing of and our obedience to his will and not our own is our life in sum. We have no fruit to show otherwise.
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The fruit of maturity of faith hangs, ripe for the picking, from the tree of the Doing of God’s will.
The fruit of the Spirit is always good to the taste, a blessing, right for every time and circumstance.
The fruit of the Spirit abides, accords, applies to the right way.
The fruit of maturity of faith is picked at just the right time and way, destined for just the right thing.
Becoming aware of and doing God’s will: our sole role.
© 2015 Steve Wickham.

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