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InterSections

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BOOKS

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The Will of God (2nd ed, Epworth Press,1955) by Leslie D. Weatherhead  
Faith Tabalujan

‘If it’s God’s will.’

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That’s a phrase I find myself saying regularly, but often almost as a reflex or afterthought. So reading Leslie Weatherhead’s classic, The Will of God, was eye-opening to say the least.

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The book began as a series of sermons which Weatherhead penned and delivered to his London congregation in 1944. For his congregants, Weatherhead’s book provided a pragmatic yet profound framework for understanding God’s will amid the suffering of World War II. Eighty years on, it’s helped countless Christians more faithfully submit to God.

The book is simple in structure and forthright in tone. Weatherhead breaks the idea of God’s
will into three distinct concepts, with a chapter dedicated to each.

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The first chapter addresses what Weatherhead terms God’s ‘intentional will’. This refers to God’s intended or ideal plan. Taking Jesus’ crucifixion as an example, Weatherhead argues that God’s intentional will was for men to follow – not kill – Jesus. Essentially, God’s intentional will is what would happen if we rebellious, selfish humans didn’t get in the way.

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The second chapter focuses on God’s ‘circumstantial will’, or his plan within certain circumstances. Jesus dying on the Cross, Weatherhead argues, was the result of evil men abusing God’s gift of freewill. Here, Weatherhead provides several other real-world examples. The most helpful is also painfully real to his original listeners: Weatherhead likens a war, which brings out a soldier’s courage, to sin which reveals God’s gracious character. 

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Less helpfully, Weatherhead paints being a single, middle-aged woman as being at odds with God’s ideal (or intentional) will. I find this view old-fashioned, as it seems to restrict women to only being wives and mothers. 

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Later on, Weatherhead concedes that he can’t answer the age-old question of why God allows suffering. What he does affirm is God’s ability to bring good out of every situation - saying that because 'God is love', then nothing we experience can be ‘meaningless torture’ (p 25).

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In chapter three, Weatherhead describes God’s ‘ultimate will’ as being that which he achieves in spite of – and sometimes through – the evil which humans do. Weatherhead explains by returning to the Cross. He sees the Cross as God’s way of redeeming and ‘winning’ humanity back to him (p 27). 

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As Weatherhead observes, ‘within six weeks [of the crucifixion] other men were preaching about the Cross as the instrument of salvation’ (p 30). Here, Weatherhead also provides a helpful illustration: a child tries to divert a stream but fails to disrupt where a river ultimately flows; similarly, we may ‘hinder his [God’s] purposes’ but never ‘finally defeat them’ (p 28).

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In chapter four, Weatherhead outlines a list of signposts which can help Christians discern God’s will. These include conscience, common sense, Christian counsel, and quiet time with God. More detail and Scriptural examples could have strengthened this section. Weatherhead also stresses the role of courage and fortitude in pursuing God’s will after we discern it. 

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In the last chapter, Weatherhead argues that by resisting God’s will – both individually and collectively – humans rob ourselves of peace. He writes, ‘if not incapacitated in body, thousands are anxious and worried and sleepless’ (p 40) – an observation which rings presciently and alarmingly true in our modern world. 

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Finally, I appreciate Weatherhead’s closing insights about taking on Jesus’ yoke in Matthew 11:28–30. Specifically, he likens the Christian to a ‘weaker, untried animal’ who needs only to ‘keep level’ while yoked to the stronger animal (i.e. Jesus) as our Lord maintains a ‘straight furrow’ towards God (p 45). A thoughtful take on a familiar verse.

On the whole, I benefited from reading The Will of God. While the book featured limited Scriptural references in certain sections and also contains some outdated examples, I’d recommend it to Christians who struggle to understand God’s will for their life. It may also help you confront tough questions around relationships, work, and even grief. And I expect that, like Weatherhead, you too will find comfort knowing that nothing can ‘defeat purposes which God ultimately wills’ (p 26).​​

Faith Tabalujan is a member of The Border Church in Albury–Wodonga and works in journalism.
faithxtabalujan@gmail.com

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