Does God have a Blueprint for my Life? Part 3

Passage

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2

Pondering

All that we have seen so far about the myth that God has a blueprint for us brings us to ask the question, "What then is God’s will?"

The main Greek word use for God’s will is "Thelema", which is usually said to mean something like, "a specific intent referring to the plan, will and purpose of God". This understanding actually comes from the modern meaning of the word "will" and not the actual meaning from Bible times.

With this faulty understanding, verses containing the word "will" in reference to God mean His specific blueprint. Hence, Romans 12:2, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God", is seen as meaning we must find out God’s specific actions for us that are good, acceptable and perfect (some interpretations split His will into three categories, the first (His good will) being inferior to the second (His acceptable will) and the second inferior to the last (His perfect will), but this actually contradicts the blueprint mentality which says that there’s only one perfect choice and all the rest are just plain wrong).

However, the actual meaning, and the meaning that the original co-authors and recipients of the Bible would have understood, is better expressed as "God’s preference, His desires for the way we conduct our lives." His will is His stated preference, desire and mode of conduct as revealed in the canon of Scripture. Hence, the real meaning of Romans 12:2 is seen to be that God’s preference, and desire for us in every situation is totally good, pleasing and perfect (read "mature"). As we understand His preferences and desires from Scripture we’ll walk in His wisdom and maturity.

Poem

God's will is not some cold, hard set-in-stone narrow way,
That if we slip from it we'll never see the light of day!
But it's a network of love that leads up His holy mountain,
And as we commune with Him he'll lead us to the source of the fountain.

Prayer

"Lord, teach me Your ways, help me to understand and live in the light of your holy will, your preferences and desires for the way I conduct my life. Amen."