Perfect v. Permissive

“We know that all things work together for
good to those who love God…” (Romans 8:28)

Who is God talking to? He is speaking to those who remain true to God’s perfect will— His calling in Christ Jesus.

What is God saying here? He is speaking of how we should view life when things are hard or don’t make sense. There is a saying which sums up how God would have us respond in those moments:

“You cannot control the events & circumstances of life, but you can
control your reaction to those events and circumstances.”

What to do when things don’t go the way we think they should? The reality is that is just part of life. As an attorney, when we go to court we always needs to have a Plan A and a Plan B ready, and even then usually what happens in Plan C! How we react and respond in those moments reveals our heart and how much we trust God when it looks like things are happening in and around us that we weren’t expecting.

Oswald Chambers said it best regarding God’s will in our lives. “Always make a distinction between God’s perfect will and His permissive will, which He uses to accomplish His divine purpose for our lives.

• God’s perfect will is unchangeable.
• It is with His permissive will, or the various things that He allows into our lives, that we must wrestle before Him.

It is our reaction to these things allowed by His permissive will that enables us to come to the point of seeing His perfect will for us. God’s permissive will is the testing He uses to reveal His true sons and daughters. We should not be spineless and automatically say, “Yes, it is the Lord’s will.”

We don’t have to fight or wrestle with God, but we must wrestle before God with things. Beware of lazily giving up. Instead, put up a glorious fight and you will find yourself empowered with His strength.” Be sure that in those moments as you wrestle before God about what is happening that you don’t wrestle WITH God. Submit to God and wrestle it out before him to find peace in Him in those moments when life is going in a different direction that you had been praying about or expected it to take.