by Walt Brock

Thelema = God’s purpose or heart desire, often referred to as the Lord’s will

James 4:15b If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. Whoever said we were doomed to our current situation forever? We may never figure out who first said it, but one thing is for sure: too many of us think it. God always wants us to grow and develop, but we must do it while waiting on Him to lead the way and supply the wherewithal. Figuring out which way His will leads, how He will provide, and when, are things that often keep us from making any progress. This may be called a lack of faith, or it may be called being in a rut; however, most of the time, it is just plain old busyness. For the most part, Christian leaders are hard workers in the ministries God has given them. Because the work of planning is often relegated to the back burner until we put out the fires on the front range, planning is often left undone because we have too much to do now, much less to think about doing more tomorrow. Consequently, for too many leaders, when tomorrow comes, they will still be doing what they are doing today. That raises the question, will that be as much God’s will then as it is today? If there is any chance that the answer to that question might be in the negative, we must put real effort into starting the thelemic planning process within God’s will so that we are ready for the change that He wants us to make in our own lives and in the operation of the ministries He has put into our trust. Start first with an honest look in three directions.

Look back. Throughout God’s Word, He asks His people to remember what He has already done for them as a testimony to His praise and as an indication of what He can do in the future. Looking back helps us build our faith and grow in the assurance of His grace (Deuteronomy 8:1).

Look around. Thank God for all you have now and for your current situation (both blessings and distresses). Then pray and ask God for His leading and provision for tomorrow (Philippians 4:6-7).

Look forward. Because Christians ultimately will be in heaven, make sure your future look is first of all eternal in nature (James 4:13-15; 2 Corinthians 4:1-2,17-18).

Your future look should see the following:

Present plans—current and operating plans up to one year, usually one cycle of a ministry’s operation.
Probable plans—things that will have a reasonable probability of occurring within one to three years into the future.
Possible plans—plans that are feasible and are likely to occur within the three to five year timeframe.
Potential Plans—BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) as God provides and whenever He leads.

Next, make sure you are thinking about planning within the context of “God’s will.” In order to do that properly, one must understand the biblical precepts and principles relating to God’s will. Because there is no single, extended passage of Scripture explaining in great detail the essence of the doctrine of God’s will, we must turn to a number of passages to get the essence of what the Scripture is saying. Maybe the best way to approach it in our limited framework is by looking at the various words translated as will in the Scriptures, especially those that refer to God’s will. Vine’s Expository Dictionary (Vine, 1981) lists five different nouns that can refer to will as God’s will. The five Greek words for will in noun form are as follows:

Thelema signifies (a) objectively, that which is willed, of the will of God, e.g., Matthew 18:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 5:18, where it means “the gracious design,” rather than “the determined resolve,” and (b) subjectively, the will being spoken of as the emotion of being desirous, rather than as the thing willed; of the will of God, e.g. Romans 1:10; 1 Corinthians 1:1.
Thelesis denotes a willing, a wishing, Hebrews 2:4.
Boulema, a deliberate design, that which is purposed, Romans
9:19.
Eudokia (to think) is rendered “good will” in Luke 2:14.
Eunoia, good will, Ephesians 6:7, (pp. 216-217).

The word from this list that we are most interested in is the Greek word thelema, which, at the risk of over simplification, means God’s will as His heart desire or wish for our behavior. This type of will requires our cooperation, as opposed to His predestined and determined will, which comes from the word boulema. Therefore, when we speak of trying to find God’s will in our lives or ministries, we are speaking of finding the equivalent of thelema, God’s heart desire for us (as the Scripture says in Romans 12:2, “that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will [thelema] of God”).

By adding the suffix ic (meaning having to do with) to the Greek word thelema we come to the word thelemic, which for our purpose can be defined as an exercise or planning session that is aimed at determining God’s heart desire for an individual, a church, or a Christian ministry, such as a camp, school, or other endeavor aimed at furthering the cause of Christ.

It is true that much of God’s thelemic will is already listed for us in the Bible (for example, salvation, sanctification, being Spirit-filled, and enduring in suffering); but much of His thelemic will is not spelled out, such as locations, timing of events, occupations, personal choices, and funding methods. It is in these areas of life and ministry where we must seek His guidance in prayer, follow biblical principles and precepts, use good wisdom and discernment, consider how God may be dealing with us in our current circumstances, and in the end, make decisions that keep us going in the direction of pleasing Him who is our Savior and Lord. “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (James 4:15).

Review this chart at this link for more on planning in the context of God’s will. There will be more about this chart in future articles.