Each of us is probably familiar with the phrase "for all the will of God." And many, most likely, thought about it. If we take it literally, it turns out that all the aspirations of a person, his desires and prayers do not have independent significance.
One religious philosopher from Denmark, Seren Kierkegaard, has words that prayer cannot change the will of God, but it can change the person who prays. Based on this, it means that there is no place for miracles at all, everything is predetermined in advance.
How does this phrase relate to church views and, in particular, to the expression âfor all the will of God?â And two others closely related to it? We will talk about them below. Let's try to figure it out. And also consider the expression "no matter what is done, all for the better."
Two aspects
What does âall the will of Godâ mean? To answer this question, it is necessary to make a reservation that theologians distinguish two aspects in it.
- Graciousness.
- Tolerance.
The first, regarding rational substances, is the approval of their actions, desires and thoughts. And also the support manifested in the blessed help from the Holy Trinity and its blessings.
What does âall the will of Godâ mean in the second sense? It refers to works that are either morally neutral or contrary to God. He does not approve of such cases, does not contribute to their implementation, but, despite this, allows their commission. This allows intelligent beings to act within the framework that is enclosed in them when they are created, according to their free choice.
To understand the meaning of âall the will of Godâ, we give examples that characterize each of these aspects.
Goodwill and Acceptance Examples
For the first aspect, these are:
- Abel's sacrifice;
- the resettlement of Abraham;
- the exit of the Jews from Egypt;
- the construction of the tabernacle at Moses;
- the construction of the temple at Solomon;
- confession of the apostle Peter;
- conversion of Paul.
As a striking example of the second, the fall of Adam and Eve can be considered. God did not favor him, but he did not begin to hinder this by the power of his own power. He did not stop the hand that reached for the forbidden fruit, allowing him to try it.
Considering what âthe will of Godâ means, weâll talk in more detail about these aspects.
Interpretation of Church Fathers
What does âall the will of Godâ mean in the understanding of religious authorities? They consider this expression in the light of the dogmatic position according to which no one and nothing in principle can oppose the will of the Creator. This interpretation dictates the understanding that everything that happens in the world of created beings happens only because the Lord desires or allows it. Good and evil deeds - everything is possible only with the knowledge of the Heavenly Father.
However, the thesis in question does not need to be interpreted in the false sense, which suggests that God's providence is fatum. That is, it will be wrong to consider that everything that happens should have happened unconditionally. Just like not everything that did not happen could not happen in reality.
Homo sapiens
God endowed man with reason, as well as freedom of action, although the latter is largely limited by the Creator. This applies to its nature and individual characteristics, the strength of circumstances. With regard to the moral, he can violate and fulfill the will of God.
If a personâs desires and actions comply with his laws, the Lord favors him, contributing to the fulfillment of good intentions. If the aspirations and actions of the sinner contradict the highest plans, they are not approved by the Almighty.
What does âall the will of Godâ mean in the case of a personâs free choice? She sees the following. It was the Creator of his own will that gave man the ability to commit sin. On the other hand, he shows his patience and even patience.
For a better understanding of what âall the will of Godâ means, let us say a few more words about the free will of man.
Synergism
A man created in the image and likeness of God has been given free will. Without the possibility of choice, there would be no good as such, while only the need would guide the inner life and actions of a person.
Free will is one of the main human virtues. But at the same time for him it is a huge responsibility. In this regard, the question arises, why is this choice necessary if many people abuse it?
The whole point is that without this, salvation cannot be realized. Since it is a communion of God, that is, life with God, the eternal approach to him, the enlightenment of the soul and its illumination with divine light.
A person must voluntarily choose the path of salvation. God must be the main goal of his life. Salvation is seen as the Creator's love for his creation, and creation - for the Creator. In this regard, the nature of salvation is deeply personal. Theologians call this synergism - the interaction of divine and human will.
Do I need to resist fate?
The Roman Stoic philosophers said that fate leads the willing, while it drags the unwilling. In their view, the relationship of man with God was like a one-way road. Only God acts on it, and man only passively perceives the results of his actions. All attempts to resist destined destiny can lead exclusively to loss of strength and to sufferings that have no meaning.
As it became clear from the explanations of Christian theologians, a person has free will given to him from above. Of course, if he tries to drive towards a dump truck in a passenger car in order to compete with him on the subject of who will push someone off the road, here a person cannot change anything. But the believer has a choice: to move along this strip towards God or from him.
Next, consider what it means to ârely on the will of Godâ?
Prayer as an approach to God
And a miracle due to his prayer can happen exactly where he moves towards the Creator. How does this happen and what needs to be prayed for? One of the Russian ascetics, St. Ignatius (in the world - Bryanchaninov) wrote that God does not need prayers.
Even without our petitions, he knows what each of us needs. For those who ask nothing, he also pours out his bounties. Prayer is necessary for man himself. She draws closer to the begging God. Without it, man is alien to the Almighty. The more a believer practices it, the more he draws closer to the Creator.
Thus, the idea that God knows about the needs of everyone and by his grace rewards everyone is carried out. Therefore, you need to rely on his will, follow his commandments and live according to conscience. And in his prayers ask for his blessings.
Here, Kierkegaardâs thought, as mentioned above, is clarified. Through prayer, a person can change in a very concrete way. She can bring him closer to the Almighty and thus prepare him for the perception of the blessings that he pours on his children without any requests from them. This is the meaning of the expression that you need to rely on the will of the Almighty.
What does it mean, âwalking according to the will of God?â
The Gospel of Matthew says that not everyone who turns to the Lord will be able to enter the kingdom of heaven. But only he who does the will of Heavenly Father. According to Theophan the Recluse, a bishop who lived in the 19th century, this means that with prayer alone it is impossible to be saved. It is necessary to fulfill the will of God, that is, what is entrusted to a person according to the structure of his life and rank.
And in prayer we must basically ask that God help us not to recede from his will. For the one who zealously performs it, prayer will be more bold and he will more easily gain access to the throne of the Most High. It happens that if prayer is not accompanied by walking according to the will of God, then it is fake, hearty and sober, but only verbal, external.
During its reading, there is a moral malfunction, a person closes with verbosity, like fog, and his thoughts wander. Only in the performance of one and the other with piety will the fruit appear.
Deep peace and serenity
Theophan the Recluse says that whoever firmly follows the commands of the Most High, having an unshakable and indestructible foundation, will also become firm and steadfast. For those who pursue transient values, thoughts are hesitant. But as soon as such a person comes to his senses and returns to the path of the will of God, his thoughts, like beginnings, will become orderly.
When he finally acquires skill in this way of life, everything inside him comes to a serene order and a calm order. Having begun in this world, serenity and a deep inner world will pass into the next life, staying there forever.
This is what âwalking according to the will of Godâ means - among the general course of life around us and constant, not current in us. So wrote Theophan the Recluse.
An example of trust in God's will
A vivid illustration of this trust is the prayer of Filaret of Moscow (18-19 century), saint, bishop. Turning to the Lord, he said that he did not know what to ask of him. Indeed, God alone knows what he (Filaret) needs. God loves him more than he can love God. Father, give your servant what he himself does not know how to ask.
Then Filaret exclaims: âI do not dare to ask you for either comfort or a cross, I only stand in front of you. My heart is open to you. You see needs that I donât know about. Look and do according to Your mercy. Heal and smite, raise me and put me down. I am silent and reverent before your holy will and your destinies, incomprehensible to me. I surrender to you and sacrifice myself. I have no other desire than to do your will. Teach me prayer and pray in me myself. â
An example of uncertainty
Such is the journey of the apostles with Jesus in a storm through a raging lake. They were frightened and woke Master, sleeping in the stern. At their request, he performed a miracle. He told the winds to die down. But at the same time, Jesus turned to the disciples reproachfully, asking: "Where is your faith?"
In the presence of the storm master on the boat, the students decided to ask him to perform a miracle. The fact that the Creator of the world in the person of the Savior was located in the same boat with them, they considered insufficient to feel safe. The request of the apostles was granted.
God sees everything
By their prayer, a miracle was possible, it remained forever in the history of mankind, testifying that God hears any requests. However, along with this miracle, a divine rebuke addressed to the asking disciples also entered history.
Something similar happens with people, when, experiencing everyday storms, they turn to God with a request to help them. They think that the Creator forgot about them, that he does not see what is happening, that he does not control events. And the fragile boat of their life is about to be swept by waves of adversity. However, God with his invisible participation always accompanies us in our destiny.
âWhatever is done is for the betterâ: the meaning of expression
This saying can be illustrated by the following parable.
One king had an adviser who was an ardent believer. Whatever happened to him and others, he repeated:
- No matter what God does, everything is for the best. He arranges everything wisely. If he gives something, itâs good, but if he doesnât give, then itâs even better.
If the king did not get what he intended, the adviser again repeated:
- It's for the best!
In such situations, the ruler was perplexed:
- I canât believe that when something bad happens, when a person fails, itâs good for him.
Once, when both characters walked through the woods, a spike of a poisonous plant glared at the king. Without a moment's hesitation, the adviser with a dagger cut off a toe to his master, damaged by a spike, and said:
- Well, God arranged everything!
The ruler was beside himself with rage:
âHow can it be good that you took my finger away?â
The adviser replied:
âIf I hadnât chopped it off, the poison would have covered the whole body, and then you would have died.â
However, the king was not reassured by this explanation and drove the adviser away. Continuing the road in solitude, the ruler came across a tribe of cannibals who were just looking for a suitable victim for the holiday. The king was captured, but then he was released. This was due to the fact that the victim was inferior due to the lack of a toe.
The king was very frightened, but, reaching the palace, he summoned an adviser. He generously gifted him and said:
âI realized that you said wise things, but still explain what is good in the fact that I drove you out of the woods?â
The adviser replied:
- If I stayed with you, then the savages would eat me.
Since then, the ruler no longer doubted the wisdom of divine designs.
Having studied what the expression âwhatever is done is for the betterâ, like all of the above, means, we can conclude that everything in the world is accomplished by the will of the Creator, who only wants good for man. But at the same time, the latter has free will, which was given to him in order to approach the Almighty.