Discovering God's WillSample

A Who, Not a What

A couple of years ago, I was waiting for my flight at Pearson Airport when I had a chance encounter with a real-life Marvel Avenger.

Simu Liu, the famous Canadian actor who played the lead in the 2021 Marvel movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, entered the lounge and sat directly across from me. I tried to be cool with my brush with fame while others attempted to secure an autograph or selfie. I’m sure my covert fan-boy attempt didn’t work when I tried to sneak a quick picture.

The joke within my family now is that I’m friends with an Avenger.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “It’s not what you know but who you know that counts.” This saying sometimes applies to getting a job, finding a deal, or needing an advocate.

However, there’s something significant about relationships that applies to discerning the will of God.

Jesus places the doing of God’s will in the context of relationships: “Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!” (Matthew 12:50)

It’s easy to think of God’s will as a “what” or a “where”—what am I supposed to do, or where am I supposed to go?

What if we reframed it as a relationship in which we need to grow?

Doing God’s will places us inside His family and in a relationship with Christ. Maybe this is a key to knowing God’s will and living inside a growing, thriving relationship with our heavenly Father.

Jesus described that relationship this way: “You are my friends if you do what I command” (John 15:14). The apostle Paul explained that “…all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God” (Romans 8:14).

It’s not only who we know but also who knows us. That the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of all Creation desires to be in a relationship with us is beyond words. But He does want to know us and has done everything to make that possible.

And when it comes to His will, He desires it more than we ever do. Knowing God’s will thrives inside a man’s relationship with Him.

It’s all about Who we know.

So, how do we build that relationship? Stay tuned. That’s coming tomorrow.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your desire to have a relationship with me. Please help me to keep it strong, healthy, and infectious for others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Reflection: Take a moment to thank God for inviting you to be His son. Then, ask yourself what about your relationship with God needs attention today.