Listen in as Joni tackles a question that many can relate to: How do you accept God’s will when the answer is no – even to godly desires?
Ask Joni a question here!
SHAUNA: This is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Here on Sharing Hope, we love to hear from friends who always tune in, and lately, we’ve been getting a lot of questions Joni. So, here’s one from an anonymous listener who asks this: “Joni, how do I accept God’s will when it means a ‘no’ to long held godly desire, like marriage?
JONI: I understand how hard it is for this listener [I’ll call her Jane], how difficult it is for Jane to accept God’s will when God keeps saying ‘no’ to her long-held godly desires. I’ve been in that boat. After the accident in which I became paralyzed, I really had a hard time accepting God’s will for my life. I thought walking was a godly desire, right? No one could dispute that. But it was obvious God wanted me to accept a wheelchair as his will. So, how did my own personal will finally align with God’s? Well, let me tell you what helped.
Years ago, a wise friend pointed me to passages in the Bible that explicitly say, “this is the will of God for you.” And so, Jane, to answer your question, the Bible first tells us it’s God’s will that we come to salvation through Christ. Romans 10 makes that clear. Next, my friend pointed me to 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you.” Then, in Romans 12:11, we are to “keep our spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” And then, God’s will is explained in Ephesians 5. It says, “Understand what the Lord’s will is…to be filled with the Spirit.” Which means to live under his influence. Okay, so far, we know that it’s the will of God to be saved, to gratefully serve, to remain under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
First Thessalonians 4:3-7 says that “it is God’s will that you be sanctified… For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” Now, that’s where we grow as Christians. Day by day we sanctify ourselves; that is, we separate ourselves from sin, because Jane, that’s what it means to live a holy life. And also, we submit to one another out of reverence for Christ – that’s in Ephesians 5. And finally [about the will of God], Philippians tells us, “It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ to not only believe in him, but to suffer for his sake.” Here’s God’s will. First, be saved. Be thankful. Serve others. Be spirit-filled, be sanctified, submit, and finally it is God’s will that you suffer for His sake. And when you suffer in such a way that you glorify Christ [like, not complaining, but submitting] then you’re doing it for the sake of Jesus. To make Him look good, the one who suffered for us.
So, Jane! When I got tired of feeling cheated in life because of a wheelchair; only then I got going. I knew I was already saved, but I got about serving; then I asked the Holy Spirit to fill me so that I might partner with him in my own sanctification. You know, saying no to sin, and yes to God’s ways. And after a time, my soul began to feel wedged in the middle of God’s will. And I felt that there was no better, no safer, no happier place to be. Never would I have dreamed that I could be this happy in my wheelchair. But I followed those biblical passages that already showed me what the will of God is, and I will be forever grateful. Hey, we’ve run out of time, but dear Jane, I’m going to be praying that you, too, will embrace all the aspects of God’s will for your life.
© Joni and Friends