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owlRead a new book Mam got from the Covenanter Bookshop, about guidance. There was a lot in it I didn't understand which will take a second reading to take in, but the argument as I understood it was something like this:
Everything that happens is according to God's will, even our mistakes and sins. There is no way a 'bad' decision will shift us into God's Plan B for our lives, even if facts come to light afterwards that would have made us choose differently had we known them at the time. The way to discern God's will is to pray and exercise our God-given wisdom, not to always be looking for signs and special verses in Scripture. All those hunches, weird coincidences and verses in your Bible reading are to be treated as data in decision-making, like the rest of your circumstances, and not as an overruling revelation.
All this is what I thought myself in a vague manner. Rushing around trying to find an infallible direction, a clue to Providence, is like consulting a pagan oracle. It's trying to short-circuit the decision process, to get rid of the responsibilty. There is a reason one has to go through it; spiritual growth. At the same time, it's a relief to know that one can't make a decision the will take one out of God's will.
Still, all that is not very relevant in finding a job when there simply are no suitable jobs.
Everything that happens is according to God's will, even our mistakes and sins. There is no way a 'bad' decision will shift us into God's Plan B for our lives, even if facts come to light afterwards that would have made us choose differently had we known them at the time. The way to discern God's will is to pray and exercise our God-given wisdom, not to always be looking for signs and special verses in Scripture. All those hunches, weird coincidences and verses in your Bible reading are to be treated as data in decision-making, like the rest of your circumstances, and not as an overruling revelation.
All this is what I thought myself in a vague manner. Rushing around trying to find an infallible direction, a clue to Providence, is like consulting a pagan oracle. It's trying to short-circuit the decision process, to get rid of the responsibilty. There is a reason one has to go through it; spiritual growth. At the same time, it's a relief to know that one can't make a decision the will take one out of God's will.
Still, all that is not very relevant in finding a job when there simply are no suitable jobs.
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Date: 2004-11-17 07:20 pm (UTC)If everything happens according to God's will, then why do you need to discern God's will? You could go through life blindfolded and ignorant and still be doing God's will.
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Date: 2004-11-17 09:06 pm (UTC)Because it's better to do something seeing than blinded.
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Date: 2004-11-17 09:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-18 12:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-18 12:42 pm (UTC)