“From the Experts”, pg 34 in the April, 2008 Focus on the Family magazine, a young woman is trying to work through a decision-making process regarding either law school or medical school and how that would be compatible with being a wife and mother, and staying home with the children.
Dr. Dobson defines the three competing choices before this woman:
- Have a career
- Be a wife and mother
- Have a career and be a wife and mother
Since she does not yet have plans to marry, Dr. Dobson recommends that she press ahead with her academic goals and that once her training is complete, she will still have all of the above options available to her. Dr. Dobson continues that she could put her career on hold should she marry and want to become a full-time mother.
That sounds like sage and pragmatic advice; try not to limit your options. Dr. Dobson goes on to state that only she can decide what is best for her. However, Dr. Dobson then closes with, “I would strongly suggest that you make it a matter of prayer as you seek the Lord’s will for your life.”
Please – help me understand. How on the one hand can you state that one can only decide for themselves what is best and on the other hand tell that person to seek the Lord’s will?
In considering the three aspects of the will of God, the question posed by this young woman obviously is not related to the sovereign will of God. Granted, there are inherent ramifications to each of the three choices before this woman. However, I do not sense any conflict regarding the moral will of God. As such, I can only conclude that Dr. Dobson believes that God does indeed have a plan as to which option she should choose. If that is the case, then why not “cut to the chase” and advise this woman how to go about finding God’s will for her life?
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Why is it “obviously not related to the sovereign will of God”? Just curious…
To answer your question, Todd, I believe God gives us the freedom (and the responsibility) to choose various life-options such as law school, medical school, what job/career to pursue, or even whether to marry and raise families. Perhaps I can best put it this way: God’s sovereign will requires no action or attention on our part. It is going to happen, period, end of discussion. However, if one is seeking direction through such things as prayer, counsel, circumstances, scripture, or writing to James Dobson at Focus on the Family, then by definition (mine, anyway) one is seeking the specific will of God and not the sovereign will of God.
Why not the moral will of God then?
You had stated that God’s moral will is rooted in the Ten Commandments – which I believe you are correct in assuming, but I think God’s moral will is more than that. I think it is well defined throughout the Bible – New and Old Testament.
Webster’s dictionary defines moral as – “of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior.” As such, deciding between law school and medical school is not a moral decision because there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in the matter. There may be a ‘better’ or ‘worse’ aspect of the decision from the standpoint of interest, aptitude, aspirations, etc. However, I see that as different from ‘right’ or ‘wrong’.
I’m not sure what you mean regarding God’s moral will being more than the Ten Commandments and how it is well defined throughout the OT & NT. Please elaborate and perhaps I can comment.