question about God's will

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Hi, I have a type of a theological question… could it be said that God can do His will through us? Or is it always that we are doing His will (if we are)? I hope this makes sense… it’s very difficult for me to explain. Basically - can we ask God to work through us (let’s say, on an everyday basis, sort of Him living in and with us) - or is this theologically incorrect? Can we ask Him to affect the world through us?

so is it true that our works can become God’s own works?? or is this theologically incorrect? the danger I see is if someone will start feeling/thinking that they are God or part of God… how do we avoid this?

thanks
 
Wow…there’s some deep thinking there.

I can only offer my humble opinion.

If we are of the mindset, better yet, in the spiritual state to allow God to work His will through us, I think it would be very difficult for us to become prideful about it. It’s all about giving yourself fully to Him as He gave Himself to us fully on the cross. It is a sacrifice on our part to allow His will to work in our lives, just as His dying on the cross was a sacrifice.

Even during the Mass, our “gift” that we “lay at the altar” is ourselves…we give ourselves to Him as part of the sacrifice of the Mass [someone correct me if I’m wrong here] fully, just as He gave Himself to us.

Here is a prayer that I try to say every morning: “Here I am Lord, I come to do Your will. Make of me what You will this day. Here I am, Lord, here I am.”

:o
 
And yes, I think that we can ask God to use us to work His will through us.

And yes, I think that it is through doing His will that works have meaning, IOW, we are to do His works, not any “work” of our own…
 
St. Francis prayed, Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. We can all pray humbly to be used as Our Lord’s instrument to do His holy will.
 
I think the question then becomes what are your intention in the deepest corners of your heart and soul…MY will be done or THY will be done?
 
Thanks for the replies!

I’ve been thinking more about it… .I think that yes, God can work through us, and that our actions can also be His actions… for example, if you are talking to someone and God gives you the right words to say, - you are the one saying the words, but He is working on a spiritual level to help the person you are talking to, through your words 🙂

I think what I meant but couldn’t figure out what to say is, - how is this supposed to be experienced or feel like? if anything? the reason I’m asking is because earlier today, - I was wondering about this, but all of a sudden I had sort of a scary experience as if God was asking for my consent to work through me, but it felt scary almost as if something was trying to take over my mind, and almost like if I consent, I would lose my individuality and almost become a part of God, like everything I do would be His actions… and I got really afraid because I couldn’t figure out if this was truly from God or from the enemy… btw this was triggered by reading about a private revelation that isn’t accepted by the Church.

Do you think that when we truly live according to God’s will, when we live in Him and He in us, - like how Christ talks about in the Gospels - does it feel like He has taken us over, like we lose our individuality and become almost like a way through which He acts, - or, do we become a way through which He acts but we still keep our self awareness and we recognize that we are a separate being? I always thought it was the second option… I’m just really scared of either accepting something wrong, OR, rejecting what is truly from God…

Also whenever I receive a grace from God or when I feel near to Him, I always feel peace and a ‘rightness’ in my heart about it… but this time, it was really scary, uncomfortable, and there was no peace…

what do you think?
 
thanks 🙂

I came across that private revelation by accident…

here is something I found:
The idea that God will take over our will and we will become a passive container of God�s action is the old heresy of “Quietism”. The proposed doctrine of total passivity in the face of divine action in the soul as taught by Molinos was condemned by the Church in 1717. You will find this hard to believe, but history has proved this out. When a soul is seeking to get out of its own free will, and have God take over its will, what usually happens is that it assumes that everything it does is God�s Will. Even when it has illegal carnal desires, it can then act on them as if it was God�s will and not blame itself. In the first years of these “quietist” practices this does not happen, but as time goes on it always happens.
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Monica4316 said:
so is it true that our works can become God’s own works?? or is this theologically incorrect?
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Act of Consecration to the Sacred heart of Jesus
Code: 
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I consecrate myself to Your Most Sacred Heart. Take possession of my whole being; transform me into Yourself. Make my hands Your hands, my feet Your feet, my heart Your heart. Let me see with Your eyes, listen with Your ears, speak with Your lips, love with Your heart, understand with Your mind, serve with Your will, and be dedicated with my whole being. Make me Your other self. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, send me Your Holy Spirit to teach me to love You and to live through You, with You, in You and for You.

Come, Holy Spirit, make my body Your temple. Come, and abide with me forever. Give me the deepest love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus in order to serve Him with my whole heart, soul, mind and strength. Take possession of all my faculties of body and soul. Regulate all my passions: feelings and emotions. Take possession of my intellect, understanding and will; my memory and imagination. O Holy Spirit of Love, give me an abundance of Your efficacious graces. Give me the fullness of all the virtues; enrich my faith, strengthen my hope, increase my trust, and inflame my love. Give me the fullness of Your sevenfold gifts, fruits and beatitudes. Most Holy Trinity, make my soul Your sanctuary.
 
Monica4316 said:
Hi, I have a type of a theological question… could it be said that God can do His will through us? Or is it always that we are doing His will (if we are)? I hope this makes sense… it’s very difficult for me to explain. Basically - can we ask God to work through us (let’s say, on an everyday basis, sort of Him living in and with us) - or is this theologically incorrect? Can we ask Him to affect the world through us?

so is it true that our works can become God’s own works?? or is this theologically incorrect? the danger I see is if someone will start feeling/thinking that they are God or part of God… how do we avoid this?

thanks
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There’s always the danger that we’ll think we’re doing Gods’ will when we’re not. On the other hand, Gods’ will is done on earth and every time it’s done it’s done through us, but generally only with our cooperation. Sort of a paradox.
 
Thanks for the replies 🙂

I’ve been struggling with this all day but then after praying about it, I think God showed me why I was feeling this way. 🙂 it turns out that I was really deluded… it’s kind of scary, really. I had this impression (and i wasn’t even aware of it until half an hour ago) that rather than God doing His work through us, - it’s actually that we do His work instead of Him. I mean that we can do God’s miracles etc in the world but without His aid. No wonder that impression caused me so much anxiety; it’s not only false, but new age and blasphemous. And that’s what I believed and felt this whole day (without realizing it), and since i was afraid of rejecting an inspiration from the Holy Spirit, I accepted it, not realizing that it’s a misunderstanding and not the truth. Around half an hour ago I figured out the actual truth from the Holy Spirit, which is what I believed before, - that God can work through us but only when we are humble. During this whole experience today, I was repeatedly tempted to pride. By the way all these thoughts came as a result of reading about a private revelation, but now I see that I was misinterpreting this revelation.

I don’t know if any of this makes sense, I’m just so relieved now and I feel peace again 🙂

God bless
 
I pray on pretty much a daily basis, and always after receiving the Eucharist:“Lord, make me an instrument of Your will.”
But then I let it go, I don’t wonder if I am doing things because it is God’s will, or my own. I take responsibility for my own actions, but in this way I ask the Lord to give me the grace to do His will always, in keeping His commandments and accepting His will in my life always, whether good or bad. And for Him to allow me to be a tiny beacon of His light to the people around me.
If this is heresy, I am in big trouble. :o
 
One of the most beautiful prayers from our liturgy is the doxology,
"Through HIM,
With HIM,
In HIM,
In the unity of the Holy Spirit,
All glory and honor is Yours, Almighty Father,
Forever and Ever.
AMEN!

So many years ago, I received a precious insight at mass as this prayer was being spoken, and it is really what we ask in Eucharistic Prayer IV, also.
And that we might live no longer for ourselves but for HIM, he sent the Holy Spirit from you, Father, as his first gift to those who believe, to complete his work on earth and bring us the fullness of grace.
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Reflect often on this, Monica. With Jesus IN us, and with the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit, our lives are meant to bring honor and glory to God, by doing the very work as Jesus, who calls us “My Other Self.” I am never going to do justice to the understanding of this prayer, but I pray God will help you to see it in a very deep way.
 
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