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God's perfect will vs permissive will, and why it matters more than I thought

A personal look at what happens when we wander out of God's best, and how we find our way back. Can I be honest with you for a moment? Like, genuinely, pull-up-a-chair honest? Because I've been sitting with something that has been quietly, and not so quietly, getting my attention lately. It started with a verse I've read a hundred times. Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we can know God's "good, acceptable, and perfect will." But in another translation, that word "acceptable" becomes "permissive." And that one little word? It stopped me cold. Permissive will vs perfect will, do we really know the difference? My pastor used to say we often live in God's permissive will rather than His perfect will. I'd nod along like I fully understood. Turns out, I understood it in my head a whole lot better than I was living it in my life. God's permissive will is what He allows. His perfect will is what He designed for you, His absolute best. And most of us, if we're honest, have settled somewhere between the two. God's heart is for your health and wholeness Here's what I've come to believe: God genuinely wants His children to walk in health. The Old Testament makes this clear in a way that still takes my breath away: "If you will diligently listen to the LORD your God... I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD your healer." Exodus 15:26 "You shall serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you." Exodus 23:25 And if that is God's heart in the Old Testament, how much more does He long for that for us today? When God gets our attention When I noticed some physical challenges creeping into my life after years of remarkable health, I didn't panic. I asked. Lord, what are you trying to tell me? The answer wasn't comfortable, but it was clear: I had drifted. I had been living in His permissive will, going through the motions, knowing what was right and quietly choosing what was easier. Letting gifts, I believe God placed in me sit dormant because I hadn't been willing to fully commit. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10 Notice those words, steal, kill, destroy. That is not God's assignment for your life. That is the enemy's work. And when we step outside of God's perfect will, we can leave ourselves more exposed to it. Getting back to basics I think of Job, a man who didn't deserve what came against him, and yet God permitted it. Through it, Job's faith was refined in a way nothing else could have achieved. God is never cruel, but He is always purposeful. For me, this season has become an invitation back to basics. Back to obedience. Back to truly inspecting my heart and my motives before the Lord, and repenting where I have been stubborn. If any of this is landing somewhere in your heart today, maybe the question worth sitting with is simply this: Am I living in God's perfect will, or have I settled for His permissive one? Because friend, He has so much more for you than "permitted." He has perfect. This is an ongoing journey for me, and I'm sharing it because I don't think I'm alone in it. If this resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. We're all works in progress, and that's exactly where grace does its very best work.
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