DeYoung argues that younger generation Christians fail to understand what it means to discern the will of God, and, thus, flounder through life without making meaningful decisions (especially vocational decisions and commitment to marriage and parenting). Then, in an effort to cover their failure to make decisions or commitments, twenty/thirty-somethings tend to spiritualize their situations in terms of “waiting upon God” or “seek God’s will”. This sounds great, after all, aren’t we to seek God’s guidance and will? DeYoung reminds us that Christians throughout history have understood God’s will in terms of three categories:
1). God’s Will of Decree
2). God’s Will of Desire
3). God’s Will of Direction
First, God’s Will of Decree “refers to what God has ordained. . . God knows all things and sovereignly superintends all things. God’s will of decree is absolute. It is from before the creation of the world. It is the ultimate determination over all things, and it cannot be overturned” (pg. 19, 21. Eph ; Matt —30; Acts —28; Psalm 139:16; Isa 46:9—10; and Heidelberg
Second, God’s Will of Desire “refers to all God has command – what he desires for his creatures. If God’s will of decree is how things are, God’s will of desire is how thing aught to be” (pg. 21). God desires all he has created to be pure and holy, we are to know this truth. Our sin angers God and incites his wrath, and we are to know this truth. Only Christ can save sinners from the just wrath of God, and we are to know this truth. God wants us to love him with all that we are, and we are to know that truth. God wants us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and we are to know that truth. God has shown us that we are to do justice, lover mercy, and walk humbly with him, and we are to know this truth. God wants us to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, and we are to know this truth. On and on we could go.
Third, God’s Will of Direction refers to the minute details of God’s “individual, specific plan for the who, what, when, where, and how of our lives” (pg. 24). It is here where DeYoung presses his stunning thesis. DeYoung contends that most of us passionately desire to know God’s directive will for our lives while neglecting to pay significant attention to God’s explicit will of Decree and Desire as it is expressed in special revelation (God’s Word) and in general revelation (creation and providence). From this issue comes the thesis:
“So here’s there real heart of the matter: Does God have a secret will of direction the he expects us to figure out before we do anything? And the answer is no. Yes, God has a specific plan for our lives. And, yes, we can be assured that he works thing for our good in Christ Jesus. And, yes, looking back we will often be able to trace God’s hand in bringing us to where we are. But, while we are free to ask God for wisdom, he does not burden us with the task of divining his will of direction for our lives ahead of time. The second half of that last sentence is crucial. God does have a special plan for our lives, but it is not one that he expects us to figure out before we make a decision” (pg. 24).
Later DeYoung writes:
“God has a wonderful plan for your life – a plan that will take you through trial and triumph as you are transformed into the image of his Son (Rom —29). Of this you can be absolutely confident. But, God’s normal way of operation is not to show this plan to us ahead of time – in retrospect, maybe; in advance rarely. . . God promises to be your sun and your shield and to carry you and protect you with his strong right arm. So we can stop pleading with God to show us the future, and start living and obeying like we are confident that he holds the future” (pg. 42).
From this thesis, DeYoung encourages the directionally challenged by calling them to follow what God has already definitively said – His Word. Instead of seeking God’s confirmation on a home lone refinance; we should have been seeking to grow in godly wisdom all along. Instead of trying to coax God into telling you who to marry, you aught to have been developing a clear understanding of godly life principles all along. Instead of trying to get God to show you a vision of your future career path, you should have been nurturing a godly conscience all along. You see, God has spoken very directly to us in Scripture. In fact, in Scripture God has told us how to live our lives in accordance to his will; we just have to apply Scripture to our lives. It is in our application of Scripture to our lives that the Holy Spirit moves our consciences with biblical principles that we should have known all along. Here the Holy Spirit pricks our consciences with the awareness of God’s right and wrong. Here the Holy Spirit applies godly wisdom to our analysis of a given situation. Thus, the Holy Spirit guides us without directly, audibly, telling us what to do or revealing to us the future. It is possible for the Holy Spirit to internally or audibly tell someone God’s directive will, but in the Bible such instances are so rare that we aught not expect such revelation with each and every passing decision we make. God has spoken to us in his Word, let’s start the work of living there.
In my personal life, this book caused me to recall two major life decisions that I had made a few years ago. (1) In 2003 I received a call to pastor a small rural church in Iowa
(2) In 2007 I received a call to a nice, financially stable, suburban church in an area with fair climate. All seemed great. The church had just finished a gorgious remodel of the parsonage. The call would have brought us closer to family. But, the church wanted to bind my conscience by imposing a list of issues it didn’t want their next pastor to preach or teach upon. The church expected their next pastor to preach on suggested topics as opposed to expository preaching that forces the pastor and congregation to be confronted with the full counsel of God (the entire Bible). Having learned a lot of lessons the last time I had to discern whether or not I was called by God to a particular church, I declined the call. In the end, God spared us from what would have become a trying situation (not that life has been all roses and candy since).
Here is the pithy point I took away form this read: when discerning God’s will for your life, focus on what he has already said in his word not what you may want him to say about your future. If you apply this point to the decisions you have to make in life, I trust you will have more solid truth and wisdom to base your decisions upon, and you will grow in obedience, wisdom, and reliance upon God.
With respect to style and format, this is a short, pity, clear, and to-the-point book that a twenty/thirty-something will read. Some might be disappointed that “Just Do Something” is concise re-presentation of Dr. Gerald L. Sittser’s work “The Will of God as a Way of Life: Finding and Following the Will of God”, but DeYoung’s less academic tone is more inviting to those less inclined to read a larger more technical book. This is a great book to give a high school grad, college student, recent college grad, or floundering twenty/thirty-something.
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Great review, I'll have to pick up a copy of the book for myself and some family members struggling with hard decisions (employment, school, job, etc).
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