Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Thursday January 12, 2006

The 8 simple guidelines for ascertaining God's will, found in the margin of Henry Drummond's Bible, have helped me so much I wish I had discovered them years ago. They make sense in the framework of a field that is covered with mysticism and often outright spookiness.

Number 4 on the list is the simple statement:

"Beware of the bias of your own will, but don't be too much afraid of it."

The bias of my own will has been a real factor in the decisions of my life. I think this is true for most of us. Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking if an action is not condemned outright in the word, then whichever decision we settle on is alright. We fail to factor in the pressure of our own bias or desire for a person, place or thing.

In the matter of a person we tend to hire staff whom we like and this attraction overshadows some traits that will just about guarantee the failure of this hire. This bias may be the person's talent is so great that we overlook a rotten personality, or an obviously shaky marital situation. The list is ad infinitum. The bias of my own will has always been to bring people like me on board. A real blunder when you think about. How many quarterbacks does one team need? But on the other hand, should good decision making qualities rule out a quarterback type?

I must comment further on the bias of our own will concerning the person we want to marry. I hope the rapture takes place before I ever go through that process again! I did alright with Joyce, but from observation I think many men in my profession check all of their mental faculties someplace when this monumental decision must be made in later life. About all the Bible really says is that each party must be saved. Do you have any idea how many saved people there are who would make a terrible mate? The one who has several of the nice things about your former one, many also have the traits of Adolph Hitler or Lampshade Annie. Your bias could blind you. Yet it is important that you do not automatically exclude someone because of the bias of your own desire.

Most men in my calling have joked about the call to a church in warm climes that is 5 times larger than the one where we currently labor and when the call comes the wife is instructed to pray while we pack! Would you say your bias for warm and status could be overriding your spiritual judgment? By the same token the opportunity to go someplace may be God's will for you, for God is not trying to tempt or to torment you.

And what of 'things?' It is a matter of scriptural record that the Lord will withhold no good thing from those who love Him. So is every good thing offered just for you? Because a thing is good, does that mean it is to be withheld because it is good? Does your bias for or against something mean that it is automatically excluded?

Of course there is no automatic exclusion or inclusion in matters unmentioned in the word. Because this is true, we must come back to the 1st guideline mentioned by Henry Drummond and engage in soul searching honest prayer to figure out God's will for us at this time. Paul gives some insight into this daily will of God in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Thankfulness is better than complaining and waiting on the Lord is better than running about or off like a chicken with its head cut off.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2006 Use with credit

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