Understanding God's Will: When His Good Doesn't Match Our Good
When Jesus taught his disciples to pray "Your kingdom come, your will be done," he was giving them words that are easy to say but incredibly difficult to mean. These four simple words—"your will be done"—represent some of the most challenging concepts in the Christian faith.
Why Is God's Will So Hard to Accept?
Our natural inclination is to pray "my will be done" rather than surrendering to God's will. This creates an inevitable tension between what we want and what God wants for our lives. The greatest competition to God's will being done isn't some external evil—it's often the desires within our own hearts.
Many of us are comfortable with God's will when it aligns with our definition of what's good for us. We like the Jesus who makes our lives better, easier, and more comfortable. But the reality is far more complex than that.
What Does Scripture Say About God's Will?
Romans 12:2 tells us that God's will is "good and acceptable and perfect." This sounds appealing until we realize that God's definition of "good" often differs dramatically from our own. We tend to make our good His good, assuming that what we want is what He wants for us.
This has led to a dangerous brand of Christianity that essentially promises: believe in Jesus and God will make everything in your life better, protecting you and providing everything you want because He loves you. While there's truth in God's love and care, this perspective misses the bigger picture.
Why Does Life Get Hard If God's Will Is Good?
The answer lies in understanding that God's good is greater than our good. God doesn't define good the same way we do. When Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 about "light momentary affliction" preparing us for "an eternal weight of glory," he's pointing to a good that transcends our immediate comfort.
God's will isn't just good in our selfish understanding—it's glorious. His primary concern is His glory, which means shaping us into the image of Christ and preparing us to lead others to do the same.
What Is God's Ultimate Purpose?
First Thessalonians 4:3 makes it clear: "This is the will of God, your sanctification." Sanctification means becoming like Jesus, developing His character. This is God's good for you—far above comfort, health, success, or prosperity.
Understanding this purpose helps us see how God can work for our good even in the hardest circumstances. It's like the difference between someone attacking you with a scalpel versus a heart surgeon using one to save your life. The action looks the same, but the purpose makes all the difference.
How Do We Trust God When His Will Is Hard?
In the kingdom of God, hard and good aren't opposites. Sometimes God's will includes more difficulty than our will would choose, but it's still good because He's working toward something greater.
Jesus himself demonstrated this in the Garden of Gethsemane, where he was so stressed by God's will that he sweat blood, praying, "Father, if you're willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will, but your will be done." Even Jesus had to submit his will to the Father's, and the Father's will for Jesus was incredibly hard.
What If I'm Struggling With God's Will Right Now?
If you're in a difficult season where God's will seems hard to accept, consider these two areas:
Change How You Define Good
You might be focused on the wrong kind of good—health, wealth, success, or ease—instead of trusting that God is doing something greater in your life. It's okay to wrestle with this tension, but ultimately we need to trust His definition of what's best.
Reset How You Seek Him
Sometimes we struggle with God's will because we've put ourselves out of alignment with Him through sin or complacency. God is always working to shape us, and if you don't sense Him doing anything hard in your life, it might be because you're not engaged in anything good.
The Role of Community in Discerning God's Will
When trying to discern God's will for specific decisions, we often put too much pressure on ourselves, thinking there's only one right choice. We also tend to think it's all up to us to figure out, when God has given us community to help in this process.
God can work His good in our lives wherever we go and whatever we do. The key is staying connected to Him and to other believers who can provide wisdom, prayer, and counsel.
Life Application
This week, take one concrete step toward aligning with God's will in your life. This might mean changing how you define what's good for you, seeking God fresh through prayer and Scripture, or connecting with other believers who can help you discern His direction.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Am I defining "good" by my comfort and desires, or by God's glory and purpose?
- Where might God be asking me to surrender my will to His, even if it's difficult?
- Do I have relationships with other believers who can help me discern and follow God's will?
- What's one specific step I can take this week to move toward what God wants for my life?
Remember, saying "your will be done" isn't about passive resignation—it's about active trust in a God whose good for us is far greater than anything we could imagine for ourselves. Whatever it costs you to surrender to His will, the return on investment in this life and eternity will be immeasurably better than anything this world promises.
Why Is God's Will So Hard to Accept?
Our natural inclination is to pray "my will be done" rather than surrendering to God's will. This creates an inevitable tension between what we want and what God wants for our lives. The greatest competition to God's will being done isn't some external evil—it's often the desires within our own hearts.
Many of us are comfortable with God's will when it aligns with our definition of what's good for us. We like the Jesus who makes our lives better, easier, and more comfortable. But the reality is far more complex than that.
What Does Scripture Say About God's Will?
Romans 12:2 tells us that God's will is "good and acceptable and perfect." This sounds appealing until we realize that God's definition of "good" often differs dramatically from our own. We tend to make our good His good, assuming that what we want is what He wants for us.
This has led to a dangerous brand of Christianity that essentially promises: believe in Jesus and God will make everything in your life better, protecting you and providing everything you want because He loves you. While there's truth in God's love and care, this perspective misses the bigger picture.
Why Does Life Get Hard If God's Will Is Good?
The answer lies in understanding that God's good is greater than our good. God doesn't define good the same way we do. When Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 about "light momentary affliction" preparing us for "an eternal weight of glory," he's pointing to a good that transcends our immediate comfort.
God's will isn't just good in our selfish understanding—it's glorious. His primary concern is His glory, which means shaping us into the image of Christ and preparing us to lead others to do the same.
What Is God's Ultimate Purpose?
First Thessalonians 4:3 makes it clear: "This is the will of God, your sanctification." Sanctification means becoming like Jesus, developing His character. This is God's good for you—far above comfort, health, success, or prosperity.
Understanding this purpose helps us see how God can work for our good even in the hardest circumstances. It's like the difference between someone attacking you with a scalpel versus a heart surgeon using one to save your life. The action looks the same, but the purpose makes all the difference.
How Do We Trust God When His Will Is Hard?
In the kingdom of God, hard and good aren't opposites. Sometimes God's will includes more difficulty than our will would choose, but it's still good because He's working toward something greater.
Jesus himself demonstrated this in the Garden of Gethsemane, where he was so stressed by God's will that he sweat blood, praying, "Father, if you're willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will, but your will be done." Even Jesus had to submit his will to the Father's, and the Father's will for Jesus was incredibly hard.
What If I'm Struggling With God's Will Right Now?
If you're in a difficult season where God's will seems hard to accept, consider these two areas:
Change How You Define Good
You might be focused on the wrong kind of good—health, wealth, success, or ease—instead of trusting that God is doing something greater in your life. It's okay to wrestle with this tension, but ultimately we need to trust His definition of what's best.
Reset How You Seek Him
Sometimes we struggle with God's will because we've put ourselves out of alignment with Him through sin or complacency. God is always working to shape us, and if you don't sense Him doing anything hard in your life, it might be because you're not engaged in anything good.
The Role of Community in Discerning God's Will
When trying to discern God's will for specific decisions, we often put too much pressure on ourselves, thinking there's only one right choice. We also tend to think it's all up to us to figure out, when God has given us community to help in this process.
God can work His good in our lives wherever we go and whatever we do. The key is staying connected to Him and to other believers who can provide wisdom, prayer, and counsel.
Life Application
This week, take one concrete step toward aligning with God's will in your life. This might mean changing how you define what's good for you, seeking God fresh through prayer and Scripture, or connecting with other believers who can help you discern His direction.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Am I defining "good" by my comfort and desires, or by God's glory and purpose?
- Where might God be asking me to surrender my will to His, even if it's difficult?
- Do I have relationships with other believers who can help me discern and follow God's will?
- What's one specific step I can take this week to move toward what God wants for my life?
Remember, saying "your will be done" isn't about passive resignation—it's about active trust in a God whose good for us is far greater than anything we could imagine for ourselves. Whatever it costs you to surrender to His will, the return on investment in this life and eternity will be immeasurably better than anything this world promises.
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