Dei Volente
God willing. I remember my mom saying this so often, “We’re going to Florida this summer ... God willing.” Or, “If the Lord wills, we’ll be there!”
Sounds so uber-spiritual, doesn’t it? Especially if you say it in the Latin - Dei volente - ‘cause it just sounds so elevated, classical and spiritual.
Well, Latin may be out of date, but Dei volente is not. It’s needed now, maybe more than ever.
We’ve officially come to a time in our lives when we’re “like” God. Thanks to phenomenal advancements in technology and science, we’re:
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Omnipresent - I can be visually connected with my son, David who lives in Shanghai in a New York minute.
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Omnipotent (all powerful) - We can nuke people or at least shut them off or down with the flick of a switch.
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Omniscient (all knowing) - A friend of mine and ministry leader, Pamela Snyder, once said, “One little girl was asked in her Sunday school class, ‘Where do we go to find anything we need in this life?’ Her answer? “Google.”
Yeah, we got it all goin’ on. We have the world by the tail. Everything’s at our fingertips.
Then I remember:
“Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow...
“Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’ ”
Does this mean you should say, “Lord willing” every time you turn around? No. Though it doesn’t hurt now and again. But with the assertion of every plan you make - Thanksgiving gatherings, travel, moving, job change - your attitude must reflect that you’re really not in charge. And this takes practice. Your plan needs to be in submission to God’s plan.
Spend a day, just practicing at every turn, “Dei volente.” See where that may lead you.
IN CHRIST,
I'm real because God is so real
Your Calling For Today
The next time you're moving quickly, connecting yourself and finding answers at the tap of a button, reflect on James 4:13-15 and ask God to help you practice "Dei volente."