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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
God's will and our will	Omar	Monday, August 18, 2008
Question: Hello Brother, Recently, while reading excerpts from St Faustina's diary, I came across a passage that I had a question about during a revelation from our Lord to St Faustina. "I am with you. During this retreat, I will strengthen you in peace and in courage so that your strength will not fail in carrying out My designs. Therefore you will cancel out your will absolutely in this retreat and, instead, My complete will shall be accomplished in you. Know that it will cost you much, so write these words on a clean sheet if paper: "From today on, my own will does not exist," and then cross out the page. And on the other side write these words: "From today on, I do the will of God everywhere, always, and in everything." Be afraid of nothing; love will give you strength and make the realisation of this easy." Does this mean that we should have no desires of our own? If that is what it means, then why would God give us talents and gifts, and as I believe, plant certain goals and desires within our hearts? To summarize, the issue of God's will and our own will and desires and how the two should work jointly is a bit confusing. I look forward to your insight. Thanks and God Bless.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Omar: This means that we are to join our will to God's; conform our will so completely to God's will that our will and desires are His. The Bible speaks of this is a variety of places. When Jesus said we my die to self that we may live he was talking about this. To be so conformed to God's will that our own will fades does not mean we have no desires. It means that we confirm our desires to His will. Why would we want to desire something that is not God's will? God gives us talents and gifts to use for His glory. Using our talents and gifts for His glory is doing His will. If we use our talents and gifts for our own will apart from God's then we exercise those talents and gifts contrary to God's will. Again, why would we want to use our talents and gifts in a way that was not God's will? Our goals and desires should be in accord with God's will, not contrary to it. This is a matter of seeking to do God's will in all things and for His glory. To exercise our will apart from that union with God's will is to say to God, "I am going to do this my way" or "I want to do what I want to do regardless of what you want." Rather, all that we are, all that we do, all that we desire, all the talents and gifts we have ought to be in conformity to God's will. If we have a desire that is not in God's will then we need to remove it from ourselves. If I desire to fornicate or to steal then that desire must be eliminated. If I desire to use may talents to run this website, then I must do it according to the will of God and for his glory. So the bottomline is that we need to seek to confirm our wills to God's will and for His glory, and not our own. To do otherwise is to ignore God, sometimes to sin, and always to set oneself up as their own authority. Our ultimate desire should be to please God. I hope this helps. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

God's will and our will

Omar

Monday, August 18, 2008

Question:

Hello Brother,

Recently, while reading excerpts from St Faustina's diary, I came across a passage that I had a question about during a revelation from our Lord to St Faustina.

"I am with you. During this retreat, I will strengthen you in peace and in courage so that your strength will not fail in carrying out My designs.

Therefore you will cancel out your will absolutely in this retreat and, instead, My complete will shall be accomplished in you. Know that it will cost you much, so write these words on a clean sheet if paper: "From today on, my own will does not exist," and then cross out the page. And on the other side write these words: "From today on, I do the will of God everywhere, always, and in everything." Be afraid of nothing; love will give you strength and make the realisation of this easy."

Does this mean that we should have no desires of our own? If that is what it means, then why would God give us talents and gifts, and as I believe, plant certain goals and desires within our hearts?

To summarize, the issue of God's will and our own will and desires and how the two should work jointly is a bit confusing. I look forward to your insight.

Thanks and God Bless.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Omar:

This means that we are to join our will to God's; conform our will so completely to God's will that our will and desires are His.

The Bible speaks of this is a variety of places. When Jesus said we my die to self that we may live he was talking about this.

To be so conformed to God's will that our own will fades does not mean we have no desires. It means that we confirm our desires to His will. Why would we want to desire something that is not God's will?

God gives us talents and gifts to use for His glory. Using our talents and gifts for His glory is doing His will. If we use our talents and gifts for our own will apart from God's then we exercise those talents and gifts contrary to God's will. Again, why would we want to use our talents and gifts in a way that was not God's will?

Our goals and desires should be in accord with God's will, not contrary to it.

This is a matter of seeking to do God's will in all things and for His glory. To exercise our will apart from that union with God's will is to say to God, "I am going to do this my way" or "I want to do what I want to do regardless of what you want."

Rather, all that we are, all that we do, all that we desire, all the talents and gifts we have ought to be in conformity to God's will. If we have a desire that is not in God's will then we need to remove it from ourselves. If I desire to fornicate or to steal then that desire must be eliminated. If I desire to use may talents to run this website, then I must do it according to the will of God and for his glory.

So the bottomline is that we need to seek to confirm our wills to God's will and for His glory, and not our own. To do otherwise is to ignore God, sometimes to sin, and always to set oneself up as their own authority.

Our ultimate desire should be to please God.

I hope this helps.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum