Some well-intended brethren often offer to their fellow brothers and sisters in faith who are struggling with heavy burdens of all sorts the theological solution that they need to ask whether they are following God's will with the assumption that if they are 'flowing' in His will, then all things will be easy because they quote the Lord saying that His burdens and load are light. It gives the impression that by ensuring that we are in God's will, then all things will work out smoothly and almost 'magically' for us that we will not experience any sort of human emotional struggle or stress.
Is this true? Is this biblical?
One only needs to look at the only human being who had followed God's will perfectly to find the answer, Jesus. Did our Lord feel the pain and emotional stress of the impending crucifixion as a normal human being would? Did everything work out smoothly for him in our modern human sense where everything will fall into place accordingly? Certainly not. If we expand our search to the prophets in the Old Testament and the apostles in the New Testament, we could easily see that following God's will does not necessary exempt us from the usual stress and suffering as any normal human being would in such circumstances.
The well-intended solution of asking whether we are out of God's will based on the evidence that we are suffering the stress and burden of our circumstances could end up placing the one querying the distressed party in similar position with those who used the same argument against Job, namely, that he must had done something awfully wrong since he was suffering so much.
The well-intended solution could eventually make the already distressed brethren more distraught and if his situation does not improve despite his intense sincerity to follow God's will, he may end up disillusioned and give up totally. In such a case, the well-meant solution has become a death noose around his neck. No doubt that some of us suffer because we are truly running away from His will and also because of our own human frailty e.g. sinfulness, laziness, foolish, lack of confidence etc. However, we need to be more careful or biblical in offering well-intended solution to those who are 'heavy laden'.
Is this true? Is this biblical?
One only needs to look at the only human being who had followed God's will perfectly to find the answer, Jesus. Did our Lord feel the pain and emotional stress of the impending crucifixion as a normal human being would? Did everything work out smoothly for him in our modern human sense where everything will fall into place accordingly? Certainly not. If we expand our search to the prophets in the Old Testament and the apostles in the New Testament, we could easily see that following God's will does not necessary exempt us from the usual stress and suffering as any normal human being would in such circumstances.
The well-intended solution of asking whether we are out of God's will based on the evidence that we are suffering the stress and burden of our circumstances could end up placing the one querying the distressed party in similar position with those who used the same argument against Job, namely, that he must had done something awfully wrong since he was suffering so much.
The well-intended solution could eventually make the already distressed brethren more distraught and if his situation does not improve despite his intense sincerity to follow God's will, he may end up disillusioned and give up totally. In such a case, the well-meant solution has become a death noose around his neck. No doubt that some of us suffer because we are truly running away from His will and also because of our own human frailty e.g. sinfulness, laziness, foolish, lack of confidence etc. However, we need to be more careful or biblical in offering well-intended solution to those who are 'heavy laden'.
Comments
He helps them carry their burdens because they ask Him to, but it doesn't take them away. It just inspires them to get through the hard times successfully.