The Circumstances of Our Duty

"The accidents of ease or difficulty, of apparent safety or danger, of man's approval or disapproval, in no wise affect our duty." ––Hudson Taylor

Often, we put all sorts of conditions on God  – or our loved ones do for us, if we don't – in
regard to doing His will for our lives.

"It can't be God's will for you to go there – look at the danger!" "God expects you to be responsible..." "Do you realize how low the standard of living is there?" "You have a duty to be near your parents (or kids, as the case may be)..." "You may never see us again..." "The Islamists are there! You may end up beheaded...think of what that would do to us..."

On the other hand, ...there is a God. Our God. The One who said, "The harvest is plenty; the laborers, few"...The One who said, "Pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers..." and then, a few seconds later, added: "Behold, I send YOU..."

Then there is the example:

4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,5  In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;6  By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,7  By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,8  By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;9  As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;10  As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. (2 Corinthians 6:4-10)

Or,

24  Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.25  Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;26  In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, inperils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;27  In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.  (2 Corinthians 11:24-27)

Hudson Taylor's words ring so true: all these things, be they good or bad, are – as it were – "accidents." As such, they are all irrelevant in God's scheme of things. He can and will handle all of them for us.

They in no wise affect our duty: to go and make disciples in all nations.

Are you putting conditions or stipulations on fulfilling God's will in your life?