âI feel like God wants me to be alone for a while.â
âIâm waiting for God to open a door to the right job.â
âIf I choose this school, will I be going against Godâs will for my life?â
Weâve all statements like these before. Whether itâs dating and marriage, the quest for the perfect job, what college to go to or where to buy a house, many Christians get hung up on the question of Godâs will: Is it Godâs will that I do XYZ? What is Godâs will for my life and how can I know what it is? While itâs good to be concerned about living a life that glorifies God, sometimes we spend too much time navel-gazing when we really ought to just do something!
That, in a nutshell, is the point of Kevin DeYoungâs book, Just Do Something: How to Make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing in the Sky, etc.. DeYoung is greatly concerned about the âtinkererâ generation, those of us in the 35 and under age group who try a lot of different things, but commit to very little in the end. âToo many of us have passed off our instability, inconsistency, and endless self-exploration as âlooking for Godâs will,â as if not making up our minds and meandering through life were marks of spiritual sensitivity⌠Weâre tinkering around with everyone and everything. Instead, when it comes to our future, we should take some responsibility, make a decision, and just do somethingâ (p. 15).
In this very short book, DeYoung reveals to his readers the heart of the issue: We make following Godâs will far harder than it needs to be, because weâre looking for the wrong thing. Instead of looking at Godâs revealed will of decree (meaning that what He ordains will come to pass) and His will of desire (what He desires from His creatures), we seek to divine His will of direction. DeYoung explains, âGod does have a specific plan for our lives, but it is not one that He expects us to figure out before we make a decisionâŚ[W]e should stop thinking of Godâs will like a corn maze or a tight-rope, or a bullâs eye, or a choose-your-own adventure novelâ (pp. 24-25, emphasis in original).
We do this for a few different reasons:
- We want to please God, although our misdirected piety makes following Him more mysterious than itâs supposed to be.
- Some of us are simply, by our nature, quite timid, and prone to be too cautious.
- Some of us are searching for perfect fulfillment in this life, ignoring the fact that perfect fulfillment does not exist on this side of eternity. Because every experience and event must be rewarding, every decision in life takes on weighty significance.
- We have too many choices; we are overburdened by options and thus cannot make a decision for fear of making the wrong one and missing out. âOur freedom to do anything and go anywhere ends up feeling like bondage more than libertyâ (p. 37).
- Finally, we might just be cowards. We want to know that everything is going to be fine before we do anything; but thatâs not how God operates. We forget that God is all-knowing and all-powerful and He has planned out every detail of our lives for our good (Eccl. 7:14). âGod doesnât take risks, so we canâ (p. 41).
Instead of being controlled by these ideas, and instead of treating God as though He were a Magic-8 Ball, DeYoung encourages us to remember that God has already revealed His will for our lives in Scripture: âFor this is the will of God, your sanctificationâ (1 Thes. 4:3). The sum total of what we need to know about Godâs will for our lives is that we are to grow in the image and likeness of Christ. To live holy, set-apart lives, being obedient to the Scriptures and thankful to God in all circumstances.
Seems so uncomplicated, doesnât it?
I really appreciated reading Just Do Something, because Iâve been caught up in the question of Godâs will of direction more than Iâd care to admit and seen how unfruitful a pursuit itâs been for me. Instead of looking to the answer of what seems good to the Holy Spirit and to me (Acts 15:28), Iâve been prone to spend too much time looking for a clear and direct answer when there isnât always one. This has been the big struggle for me in trying to lead our family, because Iâm terrified to make a mistake. But, instead of being seen to be appropriately cautious on some decisions, I end up just being indecisive. And indecision only leads to irritation in the Armstrong home.
Kevin DeYoung has done the Christian community a great service by writing Just Do Something. This book is practical, witty and extremely helpful. If you worry endlessly about the question of Godâs will, read this bookâthen, stop worrying, make a decision and just do something.
Title: Just Do Something: How to Make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing in the Sky, etc.
Author: Kevin DeYoung
Publisher: Moody Publishers (2009)
Thanks for the great review. I really want to get this book!
Itâs definitely worth picking up and is at the top of my list for âgo-toâ books on this issue (which means I have to get copies for some dudes I invest in).
I donât know how this book could be recommended by a Calvinist. Everything is pre-determined right? Why would a person ever worry if they are in Godâs will?
Which one of the five points of Calvinism teaches or implies that everything is pre-determined?
Great questions, ones that are actually part of the reason the book was written.
The reason I recommend this book is because it highlights the biblical truth of Godâs sovereign will and how we should respond in light of it.
Is God sovereign? Absolutely. Everything He ordains comes to pass. Are we expected to know every detail of what He has ordained for our lives before we make any decision in life? Absolutely not.
Seeking to have God reveal His will of direction before making a decision, be it from a special word, a feeling or through some form of Gideon-esque divination, is an act of disobedience on our part. We donât trust that âall things work together h for good, for those who are called according to his purposeâ (Rom. 8:28).
Preacher who spoke at our church this past Sunday (actually heâs probably going to be our pastor), preached on determining Godâs will and he quoted from this book. âŚthatâs two references to this book within three daysâŚthis could be a sign that the will of God is for me to read this book next.
Well, when you read Josh Harrisâ foreward to the book, youâll learn that it is indeed His will that you do⌠maybe.
If a person is worrying, it is not disobedience because it was Godâs will for the person to worry. âEverything is ordainedââŚyou said it yourself. If everything is pre-determined, then the worry is pre-determined and technically part of Godâs willâŚ.according to what youâre saying.
God has ordained all things to pass, but humans are still responsible for the decisions we make. Peterâs sermon in Acts 2, especially verse 23, confirms this (ââŚthis Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless menâ).
Belief that because everything is ordained by God, we cannot be said to be disobedient or sinful is a view you wonât find anywhere in Scripture (aside from where itâs being refuted in Romans 6) and no Bible-believing Christian holds.
I completely agree with your last paragraph, as well as the part where humans are responsible for the decisions they make. Notice itâs the decisions humans make, and not God.
My intent was not to start a Calvinist vs Armenianist debate. My point is that when you make blanket statements like âGod ordains allâ or âGod pre-determines everythingâ, people will draw blanket conclusions such as âWell if everything is pre-determined, then so is sinâ.
The other flag iâd bring up is the blatant throwing around of verses from the Bible to prove your argumentâŚ.
1. People can use the Bible for all sorts of purposes, no matter what they are trying to argue, to prove their point. Remember the crusades anyone? Letâs not forget Mormons and JWâs who also reference the Bible, as well as Muslims to prove their faith.
2. Last I checked, this is a blog. This means that topics are open for discussion and dialogue. If you throwh your weight around like your answer is the be-all and end-all, it corrupts the purpose and the spirit of the blog. Iâm not saying youâre doing that, but one could see that coming were this discussion to continue forward.
Keep writing AaronâŚ.youâve both challenged and disconcerted me with various postsâŚ.and thatâs a good thing.
Glad to have your very helpful feedback. And your two points are excellent reminders for me, because I do not want to come off as not being open to discusssion.
I look forward to continuing to interact with you here. Have a great day!
I would like to know what constitutes throwing one’s weight around on a blog. Because if it’s thinking something is true and saying so repeatedly on your own blog, then most bloggers will just have to stop blogging right now.
I also think it’s silly to call out a Bible believing Christian for using the Bible to support his beliefs. Christians should use nothing else.
I also think that it’s a bit presumptuous to claim that a blogger’s own responses to comments “corrupts the purpose and the spirit of the blog”. And to follow that with “Iâm not saying youâre doing that” is a cheap poke-and-run approach to argument.