Some people, maybe including yourself, might be convinced that a broken and dysfunctional family or life has made it impossible to experience God's will. We feel like we shouldn't live in God's will because our mess, our challenges, or our struggles. But that's not how God's will works. Throughout Scripture, we see that God's will overcomes your messy reality, no matter who made the mess.
In Genesis 37, when Joseph was 17 years old, it says he worked for his half-brothers, the sons of his father's wives. His father, Jacob, had four wives, creating a lot of dysfunction for Joseph to grow up in. We read in the Old Testament that polygamy was never the will of God, because every time that we read about it, it is a case study of what happens when you don't align your life with the will of God. God had made his will very clear when it came to marriage; to be between one man and one woman. And because Jacob didn't walk in God's will, there were all kinds of issues and all kinds of messiness that Joseph grew up in.
By pointing this out, we see that God's will can overcome your imperfect parents or family. So, you have to stop being a victim and stop blaming them for why you missed out on God's will for your life. God's will can overcome your manipulative stepmom or your abusive stepdad. God's will can overcome your vengeful ex-wife or your passive aggressive ex-husband. God's will can overcome your messy reality. Your messy past doesn't disqualify you from God's will for your future. There are all kinds of stories in the Old Testament where God works his will through difficult challenges and struggles. God's will finds a way. And so, you can have confidence in the midst of the mess that God is sovereign. When things around you seem to be falling apart, God is still at work.
Discussion/Reflection Question: Is there any messiness or dysfunction in your life that causes you to think you cannot experience God's will?
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