Circular Logic (Pt 2)

I can think of another instance where circular logic is used in Christian circles.  Again, it fundamentally deals with God’s view versus our view.  Have you ever wondered about God’s specific will in your life?  We all know God’s general will, which is that all men may believe and be saved.  And for the big, broad 150-foot view, as it were, we know God’s will as well.  It’s been banged into our heads by well-meaning friends, Bible Study leaders, and pastors.  “Just read the Bible.”, they say, “God’s will is contained within his Holy Book.”  Really?  So the Bible tells me whether I should get the 4Runner with the Sports Package or the 4Runner with the GPS or, maybe even both!

Knowing that kind of will has more impact on our lives than God’s General Will, I believe.  It’s good to know that God has a general redemption plan, don’t get me wrong.  I’m all for saving people, and getting them into Heaven.  The more, the merrier, I always say.  Well, unless the party is at my house, then my saying becomes, “The cleaner, the merrier… for ME”.  However, it’s the specific will that impacts us most on a day-to-day basis.  Should I date this person? Should I take this job?  Should I buy a house now or rent and buy later?  Should I get the Xbox 360 now, or wait for the inevitable price drop even though MS has indicated it will not drop their price by the end of this year?

These questions, sad to say, aren’t in the Bible, no matter how much we pray, close our eyes and just jump to a passage in the Bible.  It’s not going to “speak” to you like that.  It’s not how it “works”.  You can’t use the Bible like Ouija Board, and expect it to give answers like that.  So what do we do?  How do we as Christians fumble around with our lives without clear direction from God?  Well, I mentioned a little about it in a previous column, Will or Coincidence.  But now, I’m talking about the flip side of it.

Here’s how Circular Logic plays out.  I pray to God and ask for a Red Nissan Z, with the Touring Package and 18” rims.  I go to the 5 nearest Nissan stores, and they all have every other Nissan Z except the Red one.  I therefore conclude that it was God’s will I didn’t buy the car.  But, what if I was able to buy the Z, now I conclude it was God’s will.  Ok, that was a stupid example, let’s try a harder more complicated one.

Let’s say, just for the sake of this argument, again with no real basis in Real Life at all, let’s say I meet a girl.  And so I pray about it.  And then I say to God (and myself), “Ok God (and me), if I invite this girl to a movie this Friday, if she says yes, then it’s your Will be done.”  However, if you ascribe to this logic, the fact that she can’t make it this Friday, must mean that it isn’t God’s Will.  But what if she happens to be out of town that week, and she asks for a raincheck? Or she says, not Saturday, but how about Sunday?  Nope, can’t do it.  I specifically asked God for Saturday, so if it’s Sunday, it’s not His Will.  Does that sound a little stupid to you?  

Bottom line is, you can’t ascertain God’s will based on forecasts and predictions.  You’re limiting God.  And He doesn’t answer to you, you answer to Him.  That’s how it works.  And if it really is God’s Divine Will that you or I be with a certain someone, He’s going to keep ramming it down our throats until we say, “Ok, ok we get it!  Now get us out of this whale!”  (That is a reference to, you know, Jonah.  And the WHALE!  It’s always Jonah and the Whale, just like Eve and the apple.)