The line between God’s will for our lives and fatalism may seem thin, almost nonexistent, but theologically, there is a significant difference. Fatalism operates independently of God; in fact, gods have no control over it and may even succumb to its power. In contrast, according to Muktiveda, God’s will involves a voluntary submission by the bhakta (devotee), with the understanding that everything works for her good. This submission doesn’t make God’s will a burden; rather, it enables her to live cheerfully despite suffering, as God never asks us to suffer for the sake of suffering but to be witnesses for Him through it.
A Hindu theologian might argue that this perspective is merely a subtle form of accepting fatalism under the guise of God’s will. In Hinduism, particularly in the bhakti tradition, the grace of God can help one overcome fatalism and karma.
I can’t provide a definitive conclusion to such debates, as each tradition has its own approach to life’s suffering through its doctrines. However, I found clarity in the distinctions made by Bishop Leslie Weatherhead regarding the phrase “the will of God.”
The British Bishop Leslie Weatherhead offers a helpful distinction in the concept of “the will of God.” He suggests that a sovereign God interacting with a free creation involves at least three types of wills. First, there is God’s intentional will, which reflects what God originally intends. The Fall, however, changed the rules of the planet, and in response to the evil that emerged, God developed a “circumstantial will” to adapt to these conditions. As the original goodness of the planet was spoiled, God works to salvage good from bad. Despite many factors defying God’s original plan, God’s “ultimate will” prevails. To those who trust Him, God promises to use any circumstance to fulfill His ultimate will.— Philip Yancey, Reaching for the Invisible God, Secunderabad, OM Books, 2014, pp. 265-266.
Leave a Reply