Good, Acceptable, or Perfect?

I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12: 1-2

This scripture could have a dozen points and sermons written about it, but I want to focus on that last phrase. Good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. I don't think this is one thing. I think Paul is referring perhaps to three separate things. I think God's will is fluid. *gasp* Did she just say what I think she said? Isn't that heresy? Isn't God the same yesterday, today, and forever? How could she say that??? Well, remember Moses? The children of Israel were led out of generations of slavery by one miracle after another, and still, at their first chance they turned away to idolatry. There are several times when God tells Moses he will do one thing or another, and Moses talks him out of it (one of my favorite side-notes; slaves just want a set of rules and a list of jobs... Moses was used to facing Pharaoh as a son - God wants sons, not slaves). Or Moses requests something (to see God's glory) and they have a debate as Moses convinces God. Or when God was going to destroy a city and Abraham pleads with him "if there are x number of righteous men..." I think God can be and is swayed by those who grow close to his heart. Therefore, I don't think his "will" is set in stone. After all, if God "wills" for me to not yell at my children (which seems reasonable), and I do, have I put off the entire balance of the universe? Am I forever lost because I stepped out of His will? Of course not. When I screw up, I have another chance to step into His will. I can ask forgiveness and repent. But repentance (especially if it needs to be repeated) probably doesn't qualify as God's perfect will. It's definitely good, and maybe even acceptable.

So I wonder. How much of God's "will" is based on our own limits or circumstances or other things? How much of it is "good," or "acceptable," let alone "perfect?"

For instance. A year ago I believed God was leading me to open up a coffee shop. At this point it's not even a thought. Sometimes even hindsight isn't even 20/20. Was it just an exercise in faith? Did I miss a window of opportunity somewhere? Did I miss it all entirely? Or was it a good option, a nice possibility, but one that just didn't come to fruition? Perhaps it is for later? I just don't know. Another example of the fluidity of God's will: A couple chooses to marry completely outside of God. They are Christians, but pursuing their own desires and goals. Eventually it becomes obvious that they are poorly suited, and begin to turn towards God in an effort to find peace. God of course begins to work more in their hearts and lives, healing their marriage and family and giving them a Vision of His plans for them. God's will changed as the lives of these people were carried out. Of course, God in His ultimate wisdom likely used all of it to bring them to a place of seeking Him. But I bet He would've been more thrilled if they had each sought him wholeheartedly from the beginning.

Over 10 years ago I went to college. I have no doubt that God directed me there. Months before, I dreamed of the exact campus, which I had never even seen a picture of beforehand. Looking back, I am really not sure why God did it. I didn't graduate. I don't think it helped my heart to submit or serve. It didn't help me to be content with my place in my family. So how much was this part of God's perfect will? My family wasn't entirely the type of family to caretake a daughter and train her up until marriage. On that same note, I wasn't the type of daughter to submissively be trained up or caretaken. So my best guess today is that God did what he could with what he had. Hence, his will was (and is) fluid.

If that's the case, my job today is to make sure God has all he needs of me in order to fulfill that perfect will. I don't want to look back and see that God was limited in his plans for me by limits I placed on my heart, or plans *I* had that I wanted to pursue. I don't want to settle for good, or even acceptable, when there is that perfect will He has for me.