About fifteen years ago I came across a book concerning the will of God that transformed my thinking on the subject. Recently, the author has expanded the book and added a lot of new material that I believe is well worth the purchase price.
“Decision Making and the Will of God” is unlike any treatise you have ever read on the subject of finding God’s will. The primary reason is because it approaches the subject from a totally different (and I think biblical) perspective. Early in my Christian life I struggled with knowing God’s will for my life. After all, if there is only "one" choice that places you in the “center” of His will, it is essential that you “find” that singular choice or face missing God’s “perfect” plan. Most books on the subject I read provided a “formulae” that I thought was very arbitrary in their approach. And, I couldn’t help but feel that God, for some reason, was making the process feel like a search through a haystack for a needle.
Dr. Garry Freisen presents what I believe to be the most biblical and best approach to knowing God’s will for your life. At first reading, you may initially reject his ideas because it is significantly different to the approach most of us learned earlier in our Christian lives. But, if you will let the scriptures speak for themselves I think you will discover that God’s will is not “hidden” as some have been led to believe. Actually, though God has a sovereign will (that is secret and unalterable) and moral will (revealed in His inspired word and must be obeyed), I no longer believe that God has an “individual will,” as traditionally presented. You have probably heard a formulae for finding God’s will that goes something like this: What does God’s Word say about your choice? Have you talked to and listened to godly counselors on this matter? Do you have peace about your choice? Do the circumstances align to confirm your choice? Are there open or closed doors ahead of you? Etc., etc.
Do you see how some of these questions can lead a person to total inaction while making the most important decisions in life? The “way of wisdom” is the best way to know God’s will and it removes the fear of missing “God’s best.” Dr. Friesen argues poignantly that the "way of wisdom" is God's means for guiding our lives.
Two other books that address this same subject from a similar perspective are “Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach,” by Kevin DeYoung and “Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion?” by Dr. Bruce Walke. These are shorter books about the will of God, but both provide excellent material worth considering in the discussion of this subject. Although they interact less with the biblical text than Dr. Friesen's book, they are both very practical and biblical in their approach to doing God's will.
“Decision Making and the Will of God” is unlike any treatise you have ever read on the subject of finding God’s will. The primary reason is because it approaches the subject from a totally different (and I think biblical) perspective. Early in my Christian life I struggled with knowing God’s will for my life. After all, if there is only "one" choice that places you in the “center” of His will, it is essential that you “find” that singular choice or face missing God’s “perfect” plan. Most books on the subject I read provided a “formulae” that I thought was very arbitrary in their approach. And, I couldn’t help but feel that God, for some reason, was making the process feel like a search through a haystack for a needle.
Dr. Garry Freisen presents what I believe to be the most biblical and best approach to knowing God’s will for your life. At first reading, you may initially reject his ideas because it is significantly different to the approach most of us learned earlier in our Christian lives. But, if you will let the scriptures speak for themselves I think you will discover that God’s will is not “hidden” as some have been led to believe. Actually, though God has a sovereign will (that is secret and unalterable) and moral will (revealed in His inspired word and must be obeyed), I no longer believe that God has an “individual will,” as traditionally presented. You have probably heard a formulae for finding God’s will that goes something like this: What does God’s Word say about your choice? Have you talked to and listened to godly counselors on this matter? Do you have peace about your choice? Do the circumstances align to confirm your choice? Are there open or closed doors ahead of you? Etc., etc.
Do you see how some of these questions can lead a person to total inaction while making the most important decisions in life? The “way of wisdom” is the best way to know God’s will and it removes the fear of missing “God’s best.” Dr. Friesen argues poignantly that the "way of wisdom" is God's means for guiding our lives.
Two other books that address this same subject from a similar perspective are “Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach,” by Kevin DeYoung and “Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion?” by Dr. Bruce Walke. These are shorter books about the will of God, but both provide excellent material worth considering in the discussion of this subject. Although they interact less with the biblical text than Dr. Friesen's book, they are both very practical and biblical in their approach to doing God's will.
