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In one church things had got so bad between the congregation and Pastor that the Elders met with him and asked him to leave. The Pastor refused, saying, “I’m the servant of Jesus. When Jesus tells me to go, I’ll leave, but until Jesus gives the word, I'm staying put." He did. Weekly, his congregation groaned through the services. Finally, one Sunday morning the Pastor announced Jesus had given the word ~ he was moving to another church. As one the congregation rose and began singing joyfully “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”
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May your kingdom come
and what you want be done,
here on earth as it is in heaven.
*Matthew 6.10, NCV
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In the Lord's Prayer, we pray that the Will of God be done, perfectly and gladly. Yet, doing the Will of God is not a light matter, for it often requires careful discernment and, also, frequently wisdom of other devout persons to guide us.
Meditation and prayer is about getting to the heart of the matter, so to speak. Paul tells the Christian slaves in Ephesus how to obey their masters. Should we give any less a quality of obedience to Christ, our Master?
5Slaves, you must obey your earthly masters. Show them great respect and be as loyal to them as you are to Christ. 6Try to please them at all times, and not just when you think they are watching. You are slaves of Christ, so with your whole heart you must do what God wants you to do. 7Gladly serve your masters, as though they were the Lord himself, and not simply people.
*Ephesians 6.5-7, CEV
I offer two suggestions on spiritual discernment. First, often a felt-sense of guidance is unclear and time and patience is needed to discern whether God is leading or not. If you are impatient, you are more likely to act outside the Divine Will than if you are patient and delay some before a final decision.
Two weeks ago I felt that I was maybe getting a discernment to get a certain thing. I was uncertain. I went to a site to get what I had seen in prayer, if I sensed a leading to do so. I prayed and walked, not getting a sense of okay to proceed. I left in peace. I accepted that the discernment had led, at least for the time, not to act. The same image has continued to appear, but with no sense of inspiration to act. Possibly, the time is not now, or possibly what I am seeing is more about what I would like to do and not what God wants done. This is an example of being patient in discernment of the Will of God.
Pertaining to the above story, recall that usually we will feel an inspiration of energy in our body when we are discerning the Divine Will. Spiritual discernment is as much about listening to your body as your brain. Again, impatience might entail stopping before you act and registering what the body is feeling. If you do not sense a light energy, but your body rather feels tight or heavy, or both, likely you are not to proceed. Also, typically, when I am in rush to act on impulse that signifies what I am doing or about to do is not the Divine Will. When engaging the Divine Will in Love, even when facing a challenge, the Spirit will give a lighter sensation and an attitude of patient calm.
A young man once lost his job, and growing somewhat desperate about his plight, he went to see an old preacher that he knew. As he poured out his heart, he angrily declared, "I've begged and begged God to say something to help me! Why doesn't God answer?"
The old preacher, who was sitting across the room, spoke a reply so quiet the young man could not make it out. The young man stepped across the room. "What did you say?" he inquired.
The preacher repeated himself, again in a low tone. The young man moved closer, until he was leaning on the preacher's chair.
"Sorry," he spoke. "I still didn't hear you." With their heads together, the old preacher spoke. "God sometimes whispers," he said, "so we will move closer to hear him."
God rarely shouts. Discernment is clarified through a choice to be patient, quiet, and reflective. Sometimes, a long sit of prayerful reflecting and openness will help clear the muddy water and assist in seeing the Divine Will. Silence is an essential ingredient of this kind of sitting.
Lastly, at times we are not discerning the Divine Will because we have not become ready to listen, to obey. A decision to do what we want, regardless, blocks hearing what we truly need to listen to and follow.
Why should we hear God if our will has not been surrendered to His Will? Of course, this is a lifelong process, and the more surrendered we become, the more clearly we will hear the Divine Leading.
What are the signs you have learned to listen to that signify the Divine Will for you?
Have you ever done something that turned out apparently badly, yet, after prayerful reflection, you remain certain you correctly discerned the Divine Will in the matter? Explain.
Have you ever done something that turned out apparently badly, and after prayerful reflection, you decided you did not follow the Will of God? What did you learn from that experience?
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*Charitable contributions would be appreciated to assist Brian in the continuance of his work of ministry. For contributions, contact Brian at barukhattah@embarqmail.com .
*Brian's book of mystical love poetry, An Ache for Union: Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major booksellers, or through the Cokesbury on-line store, at www.cokesbury.com .
*Brian K. Wilcox lives with his two beloved dogs, St. Francis and Bandit Ty, in Southwest Florida. He serves the Christ Community United Methodist Church, Punta Gorda, FL. Brian is vowed at Greenbough House of Prayer, a contemplative Christian community in South Georgia. He lives a contemplative life and inspires others to experience a more intimate relationship with Christ. Brian advocates for a spiritually-focused Christianity and renewal of the focus of the Church on addressing the deeper spiritual needs and longings of persons, along with empathic relating with other world religions, East and West. Brian has an independent writing, workshop, and retreat ministry, for all spiritual seekers.
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