Mission Monthly – October 2000
“As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been yes and no. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we preached among you… was not yes and no; but in Him it is always yes. For all the promises of God find their yes in Him. That is why we utter the Amen through Him, to the glory of God.”
2 Corinthians 1:18-20
This passage from St. Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth became a strong comfort to me as my life in Christ became increasingly active in my mid-twenties. I was blessed with the opportunity to spend two summers at the Antiochian Village Youth Camp and travel across the nation with the KERYGMA music group, allowing me to make many wonderful friends and acquaintances. At the end of the summer camping season or a concert weekend the inevitable question would be asked, “Will we see you again soon?” I always answered confidently, “Yes, God-willing.”
I love the way St. Paul handled this situation with his beloved Christian family at Corinth. “Was I vacillating when I wanted to [come and visit you but could not]? Do I make my plans like a worldly man, ready to say yes and no at once (2 Cor. 1:17)?” St. Paul wanted to be with his beloved but always knew to wait upon the will of God to see how his life would be directed as plans were made and actual events unfolded. What did St. Paul mean then when he wrote, “but in Him it is always yes”? Does that mean that every time we ask God for something He is going to answer “Yes”? Well… yes! But with the qualifier, “as is according to My will!” This is a crossroads of understanding in our relationship with God; how we perceive Him and expect of Him and, consequently, how we perceive and expect of one another.
Do I trust in God’s activity (economy) in my life? One of the most beautiful prayers of the Church says, “Grant us all our petitions which are unto salvation.” How many of us bring to God in prayer a laundry list of “needs”? How many of us actually know what our “needs” are? Remember the beautiful morning prayer of Metropolitan PHILARET, “O Lord, I know not what to ask of You. You alone know what are my true needs….” When approaching God, what we request and how we respond to His response truly indicates how much we believe and trust in His divine providence and care. His answer will always be “Yes, as is according to My will,” which actually may translate to “No, because it is not for your salvation.”
This understanding is also very important in how we make requests and have expectations of one another, seeing God at work in the midst of our relationships “for our salvation.” St. Paul planned on reuniting with the Corinthians on his way to and from Macedonia, before he returned to Judea. God did not, however, allow this visit to happen and the people were understandably disappointed. St. Paul was not “vacillating” when he told the Corinthians that he was coming for a visit and then did not come. He was sincere in making these plans but it simply was not the will of God.
We know that God is all sincerity and that He is constant in our salvation. In this fallen and imperfect world what more can we do than trust in His providence? What more can we do than sincerely attend to the needs of our families, churches, homes, employment and friendships? There will always be failures on our part and disappointment with others. If we are trusting in His providence, however, there is a greater hope that what ever happens in our life, be it joy or sorrow, health or sickness, satisfaction or disappointment, success or failure, it will be accepted more humbly as the will of God for our life. If we accept it as such we will hear His resounding, “Yes!” and be able to “utter the Amen through Him, to the glory of God.”