Our Book Reviews
Spirit of the Rainforest
A compelling true story about spiritual forces, told by an ex-Shaman who became a Christian.
Decision Making & the Will of God
Gain freedom to make wise decisions, and find several kinds of guidance about God's will for your life.
Decision Making & the Will of God
by Garry Freisen
Reviewed by Sig Feser
7-Mar-06
Is the "Will Of God" Lost?
This is a blessing of a book! In some Christian circles "finding the Will of God" has become a major preoccupation, a life-threatening puzzle which must be solved correctly or we suffer eternally. Often it immobilizes people when considering who to marry, what occupation to pursue, where to live or study, and the like. We want to be found in "the perfect Will of God", but it seems to be lost to us. How can I find it for my life? The common view of needing to "find it" often leads to frustrations and indecision. There is a better, Biblical way — the way of Wisdom.
I received this book from Daniel Levson as a gift, with the inscription: "May you be blessed...". Not only I, but many others also have been blessed by this well-reasoned book which shows us a path of freedom with several kinds of guidance from a loving God.
Many well-meaning teachers and pastors teach that there is a small dot in the middle of God's target for my life which is, they claim, His Perfect Will for me. Anything other than hitting the bull's eye is a major loss in life. "Can I fulfill God's perfect plan if I marry Susan rather than Nancy?" There is the danger of remaining immature as we find ourselves unable to use the clearly proclaimed moral will of God and the acquired wisdom from his Word and life and our friends to make choices in life.
Haddon W. Robinson of the Conservative Baptist Theological Seminary writes as follows in the foreword: "Sacred cows make the best hamburger, but the meat can be hard to swallow.... When we ask, 'How can I know the will of God?' we may be raising a pagan question...." But actually Freisen's argument becomes almost self-evident and is easy to be entreated. He is carefully Biblical and not combative.
In particular, Freisen presents four distinct ways in which God guides us:
- Moral Guidance by the revealed commands and principles of God, especially in the Bible.
- Wisdom Guidance by acquired wisdom from experience and knowledge.
- Sovereign Guidance by God's ability to cause to happen whatever He desires against any obstacle.
- Special Guidance by dreams, visions, angelic appearances, voices, miracles, etc....
Why do I recommend this book? The young men of Tanzania who have been exposed to this reasoning have found a new love of God and a liberty in God. For so long many of them had been bound with the fear of missing God's perfect Will! To speak the truth, if I were God and wanted someone to do my perfect will, why I wouldn't hide it! I'd just let it be known in normal, natural ways!
The "Will of God" is not a hide-and-seek affair, like finding Waldo! Many of us know this in the actual practice of life, but with our mouths we teach something quite different, thinking we're honoring God, thinking we're helping our youth from going astray! There is a better, Biblical way! Read both books, Freisen's and the Bible.
|
|
 |
Amazon.com has lots more information about this book, including sample pages and reviews by other readers.
In addition, we receive a small part of the proceeds when someone visits Amazon via our links and then buys the book.
|
