It is a conundrum: I am here to do what I think is God's Will in my life. but if I always am doing God's Will, am I exercising Free Will, too? I guess I am having a bit of trouble wrapping my head around this idea.

Thanks, Jai

asked 10 Aug '11, 21:38

Jaianniah's gravatar image

Jaianniah
37.8k13128610


You have the freedom to choose to do God's will, or not.

I have always heard that God is infinitely patient. If you decide to do something else, God will find another way, or use somebody else for His work.

God waits as long as it takes for His children to come home.


And he said unto them, "If a man told God that he most wanted to
help the suffering world, no matter the price to himself, and God told him
what he should do, should the man do as he is told?"

"Of course, master!" cried the many. "It should be pleasure for him
to suffer the tortures of Hell itself, should God ask it!"

"No matter what the tortures, nor how difficult the task?"

"Honor to be nailed to a tree and burned, if so be that God has
asked," said they.

"And what would you do," the master said unto the multitude, "if God
Spoke directly to your face and said, 'I command that you be happy in the
World, as long as you live.' what would you do then?"

And the multitude was silent, not a voice, not a sound was heard
upon the hillsides, across the valleys where they stood.

And the master said unto the silence, "In the path of our happiness
shall we find the learning for which we have chosen this lifetime. So it is
that I have learned this day, and choose to leave you now to walk your own
path, as you please."

-- Richard Bach, "Illusions, the Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah."

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answered 10 Aug '11, 23:00

Vesuvius's gravatar image

Vesuvius
32.7k1165201

edited 10 Aug '11, 23:20

Vesuvius, your post came at precisely, exactly, perfectly-at the moment when I needed to hear the words you quoted. I do not think it was a coincidence- I think it was God, speaking to my heart. I wish I had the space to tell you the whole story...suffice to say that my life may now, because of your post, be turned towards a much more happy path than I could have ever dreamed. I thank you! You are wise...so wise...>>>>>>>>>>>>

(11 Aug '11, 21:08) Jaianniah

I'm glad you liked it. It's really quite a remarkable book. This passage is right at the very beginning; the Messiah is essentially burned out from crowds pressing him constantly for miracles, and so goes to a hilltop and asks God if he can quit. This passage occurs afterwards.

(12 Aug '11, 05:57) Vesuvius

Love that and will get the book.

(13 Aug '11, 04:24) Paulina 1
showing 2 of 3 show 1 more comments

what you are calling 'doing God's Will' may be interperted as following 'the purpose of life',
which some see as evolution, growth and a gradual advance towards union with your 'Inner God'.
free will or freedom of choice is yours for the taking,
if you think before acting, it is your developed character that guides the choice made,
a character you can willfully change

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answered 11 Aug '11, 09:58

fred's gravatar image

fred
19.7k176

Thank you so much, Fred!>>>>>>>>

(11 Aug '11, 21:09) Jaianniah

yes you are. you don't think you are you know you are. how else would people be healed for their good deeds?

“He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.

as for free will you still have it and it as autority:

The *disciples woke Jesus. He stood up and told the storm to stop. Immediately the waves and the wind were calm. This was wonderful.

This event astonished the *disciples very much. They asked themselves who Jesus was. Even the wind and the waves obeyed him.

Jesus was both God and man This event shows us that Jesus was both God and man. He had the nature of God and also the nature of man. As a man, he was very tired. So, he slept. But he had total power even over the wind and the waves.

experience and enjoy.

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answered 11 Aug '11, 03:06

white%20tiger's gravatar image

white tiger
21.9k116117

I read this post a couple of times...but I guess it flew over my head. Can you explain it to me? I did give you a point because I sensed that you worked hard at your answer. Love,>>>>>>>>>>>>

(11 Aug '11, 21:17) Jaianniah

when you feel the sickness of other people in you and that god take that burden from you it is because those people did good deeds. you feel and know it. god is with you. as for your free will it as autority how else could you stop the wind and the wave. does it make it more clear jai? if not tell me what you do not understand jai.

(11 Aug '11, 22:30) white tiger

Yes, you cleared it up nicely!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

(15 Aug '11, 02:02) Jaianniah
showing 2 of 3 show 1 more comments

Free will allows us to choose to do what is God's will or not to. By choosing to do God's will, we are exercising our free will. We are not mindless robots or zombies when we do God's will.

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answered 11 Aug '11, 13:55

Fairy%20Princess's gravatar image

Fairy Princess
(suspended)

Gods will is our will and our will is Gods will. We are free no mater what we choose the choice is ours and through us Gods. Now that is truly free will.

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answered 13 Aug '11, 04:23

Paulina%201's gravatar image

Paulina 1
9.2k1923

Since we were all given the gift of free will to use at our disposal, then it is up to us to decide how we will use this gift to help others that are less fortunate than us, and of course we will be doing God’s work, and we will receive his blessing ten folds.

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answered 13 Aug '11, 07:06

Inactive%20User's gravatar image

Inactive User ♦♦
470133203

no, then you are not at all using your free will. even i had some issues fighting such thoughts out of mind, when i started to take control over my life. there used to be a little guilt, if i ignored 'what i thought' to be god's will for me. again it was frustrating to ignore what i really wanted and do things for the sake of god's will. but i realised that as such there is nothing like GOD's will, we only THINK something to be god's will. if really god willed, it would have happened without our interference. also, god cannot will or desire, because only the mind can desire. pure consciousness cannot desire. that is why it is often said by great men that your will is the will of god. your desire is god's desire. your plan for your life is God's plan for your life. god cannot plan things for you, because they will fructify immediately. then what was the benefit of creating this universe with human beings striving to have their wishes fulfilled. if god did everything, it will be like cheat codes which we use in video games. because god can do anything. ................................ i recently read 'the fifth mountain' by paulo coelho. it was about the prophet named elijah. even he faced similar issues. and was doing things on the name of god's will. but he wasnt happy. later god fought with him, and he fought with god (metaphorically).. and only then he learnt that there is nothing like god's will. and even though he continued with the same persuit of doing things that he considered earlier as god's will, but this time he addressed them as his own desire and will. and also said that his will made them god's will and not vice-versa.

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answered 29 Aug '11, 07:49

abhishek%20mishra's gravatar image

abhishek mishra
6885

God created man in his image. As we come closer to knowing ourselves, we loose the idea of separation and discover that Gods will and ours are the same!

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answered 25 Oct '11, 01:16

sharon2's gravatar image

sharon2
1113

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