Gotta Tell Ya Tuesday - God Doesn't Care

Did she really say God doesn't care?

I hear a few gasps. So, before I lose you, dear reader, let me explain. He does care, just not in the way you might think.

All of my Christian life I've heard "God loves you and has a plan for your life." I thought that meant He planned who I would marry, where I would live, the kind of work I would do, etc. But last week Pastor James Macdonald taught a message that shattered my understanding of this statement. He explained that God has two kinds of wills:

1. Sovereign will - He controls all ultimate outcomes in the universe; and
2. Moral will -  The moral code of conduct as outlined in the Bible.

Pastor James does not believe God has an individual will for each of us. Rather, from his study of the scriptures, he sees God blessing each of us with opportunities to make decisions for ourselves. For example, we might pray "Should I drive a Buick or an Oldsmobile? Should I buy this house or that house?" Perhaps equally good choices, God allows us to choose. Pastor James used the illustration of a parent offering a box of crayons to their child. The parent would not secretly hope "You'd better pick the orange one. Pick the orange one!" In the same manner, God does not give us choices only to have a certain plan devised for us to figure out or else.

God is more concerned about the kind of people we are (living within His moral will) than the kind of car we drive or where we live. He wills for us to live within His moral guidelines, and His sovereign will reigns supreme regardless of our choices (since we do not have the power to change His sovereign will.)

Pastor James explained several benefits to seeing God's will this way. It eliminates anxiety and guilt over our decisions because God can handle whatever decisions we make & still accomplish His sovereign will. He can also bless us with equally good options. His sovereignty extends even when we don't make the best choice. And we don't get stuck in indecision by waiting for, longing for, or manufacturing God's will for us. We are free to make a choice... period.

I have to say, I was skeptical at first. If this is true, why haven't I heard it before? But the more I listened to Pastor James' teaching, the more I embraced the freedom it brings.

So, when I said "God doesn't care," I really meant "Choose away. Enjoy your life within God's moral code of conduct. There is no wrong choice, unless you're stepping outside of God's statutes to sin."

For more information on this series by Pastor James MacDonald, visit Walk In The Word's broadcast section for free access to the Way of Wisdom series rebroadcasts beginning on Dec. 2, 2009.