"If only God would give me some clear sign! Like making a large deposit in my name in a Swiss bank." --Woody Allen
Saturday, July 4, 2009 - LIFES BIG QUESTIONS
I admit, I've based many decisions on a 'sign from God.' If an opportunity effortlessly lines up, I quickly jump to the conclusion that God is giving me the green light; but if a series of obstacles are flung my way, I figure God obviously has a different plan for me. But what if all of these instances simply come down to good or poor decision-making on my part? What if there isn't a Higher Power GPS directing and navigating my course in life?
How do you distinguish God's will from your own?
I ask this question a lot and when I pray I ask "What do you want me to do?" I get very frustrated and wonder how to read signs from God and whatnot. It's something that drives me batty on a regular basis.
I don't think I really can distinguish it until I see what the outcome is like. I mean, of course if I do something I know is againest what God and I think and know is right, that's againest God's will but when I'm trying to make a descion for something I know can turn out well, I just have to kind of wait and watch. If it's not in the direction God wants me to go, then I always get some kind of sign.
I believe that we learn God's will by reading His word. By living and thriving in the bible you can't really go wrong seeing as the bible is God's truth. In my personal experience, when you are in connection with God frequently, talking to Him and reading His word, it gets easier to distinguish the difference between earthly desires and God's calling for your life.
@ultramok you get that everything you think about the devil's character is pretty much from Milton's Paradise Lost, right? There's very little about what you're saying about him as a revolutionary in the actual Bible. He tested Job and Jesus, etc., but all the fallen angel/war in Heaven w/Lucifer stuff is straight Milton. So it's kind of like seeing, like, Aslan or Harry Potter as a spirit guide, but whatever keeps you happy--honestly, I'm not being sarcastic.
As to the actual question at hand, I think it depends a lot on the person. Everyone worships differently, has different spirituality, and a unique relationship with God. I think the irritating thing about religion for a lot of people is that it's so individually rooted that you can't define what constitutes a conversation with or message from God.
@Osakawayne I respect individualism and Satan does not follow anybodys rules, that seemingly imature aspect of him aside, his only crime is questioning God and that to me makes him the hero in a biblical sense even though his logic was extreamly flawed to think he could go up aganist God, he had the guts to do it. Lucifer was curious and was not happy with just accepting God as the true King in heaven he wanted progress. To me he is a hero, maybe a bit Flawed but that just makes him human and I would rather look up to a flawed human trying to find truth when everyone is aganist him than an omnipotent God who has no hardship at all. And Buddha is pretty cool to, I like him for a few of the same reasons. also the so called "sins" in which satan revels in are just aspects of what humans do. I think a figure who just shuns these aspects as "evil" is denying his follower of happyness. Plus all the historical inaccuracies, Lucifer=light bringer in latin, making him look like Pan for an excuse to kill pagans, he is really the under dog in all of this.
All this aside Lucifer represents Flaws in Human actions and I embrace these flaws makeing Lucifer my God.
When you follow God's will you are in the groove and things fall together. When you start to wander off the road, the speed bumps get bigger and bigger to get your attention as if to say "Wake up, your going off course!".
One way to look at it: God's will is making peace with what comes your way while being kind and loving to yourself and others. If you are not at peace and fighting what is, you are trying to stray from God's will. However, I think God's will prevails in the end in one way or another. You can only make yourself miserable by fighting God's will.
Also, maybe God doesn't have everything planned out for us but only has a rough plan for us. Maybe you can stray from the path I guess; or maybe God has a few paths for us, but helps us along the way to choose "the best one" if we pay attention to his signs. What are those signs though? Is it your intuition/gut instinct? Is it our deep set desires?
Only God knows for sure :)
- LIFE's BIG QUESTIONS
- ATTACK A CHALLENGE
@lolagirl2009 me being seperate from u is an illusion. When u Identify with your mind there is you and there is the other right? But your heart know we r one. One light. Who u THINK u are is not who u are. Thats all Im saying. is it more clear?