Every Christian knows that it is God's will of desire that we grow in holiness. It is God's will that we evangelize the lost. It is God's will that his church grows. It is God's will that our marriages are an accurate picture of Christ and the church. We could all build a list from biblical directions that show us God's will of desire. While every Christian should seek to walk within God's will of desire, none of us can control what will happen by God's decreed will. All results are in God's sovereign control. We can do our best to live according to God's will of desire, but only he has decreed the result with absolute certainty. This should take the pressure off every Christian. Our success is found in our obedience and trust. The end results are the Lord's.
We get a wonderful example of this in Genesis 24 as Abraham sends his faithful servant off to find a wife for Isaac. Abraham has given this servant a very specific task based on God's covenantal promises. Isaac's wife is to be selected in a way that she will not cause any barriers to Abraham's offspring receiving God's promised inheritance. Because of Abraham's faith in God's promises, he could not allow Isaac's wife to come from the Canaanites, so he sent his servant on a 1000-mile journey to bring back a very specific marriage prospect. The servant was rightly concerned about one major problem. What if this young lady does not want to return with him? What if her family will not allow her to come?
Abraham had every faith that God would be in control of the actual result and that he could only ask his servant to be faithful in his obedience to the mission. Abraham therefore gave a very wise and logical response. Abraham's response showed that he understands human responsibility compared to the decrees of the sovereign Lord. Genesis 24:8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there. In effect, Abraham was telling his servant that he will not hold him responsible for what is clearly outside of his control. He simply requires his servant to be faithful and to obey him and to do so in the clear trust of God's covenantal promises. Abraham's servant fulfills his role with complete integrity knowing that the result will be the Lord's alone.
When we approach our life as Christians, it's important that we continue to live out this truth. As Christian parents we can be faithful and obedient in keeping the truth of the gospel in front of our children, but the Lord has already decreed the result. He certainly works through the means of our obedience, but his decreed will is final. As a pastor I can hope for a healthy church growing in evangelism knowing that it is God's desired will for the church to expand in its mission. I can shepherd faithfully, but the result is already God's decree. A Christian can be obedient and faithful in the way they proclaim the gospel to their family and friends, but the end state of a loved one's soul is already decreed by God.
What this means is that Christians can be faithful in obedience to God and even blessed to be used by God as his secondary means in the way he brings about his eternal plan. We don't have to manipulate events or live in anxiety about results. The ultimate end of all things in all time belongs to the Lord. We can always do two things - trust and obey.
Psalm 139:16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
1 Corinthians 3:7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
Daniel 4:35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?"
Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
Isaiah 46:9-10 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,'
The result is the Lord's. Your success is to obey and trust.