God’s Power VS God’s Will
Many people, especially believers, believe that God is sovran, and His power is over all things. They believe it is God who controls everything, and all things happen because of His will. It is, however, quite essential to understand that God’s power is different than His will, and not every outcome is according to God’s will. Through Divine power, people have been given a choice to either choose or reject God’s will at different times and various circumstances.
Without a doubt, God has power over everything, and indeed, many verses in the Qur’an refer to His sovereignty and His powerfulness. According to the Qur’an, “To God belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and what lies in them, and He has power over everything” (5:120). And every and any power that exists belong to Him: All power is God’s “(Qur’an 10:65). He is, in reality, the only source of power, and there is no power except His: “there is no power except through God” (18:39). These verses, amongst with many more, illustrate the sovereignty of God and how His power exists in all creations.
Although God is Sovran, and His power encompasses everything, He has willingly given, out of His power, to His creation. In other words, a certain level of power has been given to different people: “God bestows His sovereignty upon whomever He wills. God is Embracing and Knowing” (Qur’an 3:247). The profits, for example, were given authority as a support to convey the message of the Divine: “And in Moses. We sent him to Pharaoh with a clear authority” (Qur’an 51:38). Profits and messengers are not the only ones receiving this power and authority, and this power is not limited to physical strength only. In addition to physical power, believers are also given a certain level of spiritual authority as well. According to the Bible, “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease” (Matthew 10:1). These verses clearly demonstrate that people, believers in particular, have been granted both worldly power and spiritual authority to fulfill different purpose, and it is important for individuals to understand the significance of having such a power and authority. Most people have no problem using this given power to complete different tasks, whether or not they acknowledge God as the source of their physical strength. The simple act of smiling, eating or walking, for example, is being done through God’s power. The more complicated tasks, like driving a car, building a house or doing a surgery, are also being performed by this given power. Different authorities—like the authority of parents over children or teachers over students—are also through this given authority. How people use this given power and authority, however, utterly depends on their personal choice and understanding of Divine will.
The lack of understanding of Divine will may lead people to neglect or misuse their given power and authority. In other words, what people do with their given power and authority may or may not be in accordance to God’s will. For example, when a person is walking(physically) to get to a place, he or she is using God’s power to walk, but that walking may or may not be in accordance with God’s will. If the person is walking toward his or her house to visit his or her parents, it may be understood that the walking is in alignment with God’s will, but if the person is walking(still using God’s power) yet to go and steal from a friend’s house, the walking is not in accordance with God’s will. Therefore, God’s power is different than God’s will, and this is an important concept for many believers to understand.
People must realize that God’s will is not automatic, and individuals are presented with an option and the guidance to choose God’s will over anything else: “I have set before you life and death,” says God in the Bible, “blessing and cursing: therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). Choosing God’s will is equal to choosing life and blessings, and to dismiss God’s will is to “be on your own” and face the consequences that come with such a decision. For example, when a young man dies because of drinking and driving, it is not because God had willed that for him. It is because that young man had chosen, (using his given power and authority), to break the law (regarding driving), disobey God’s law (regarding drinking) and prefer his own will over God’s will. Therefore, it is important to know that God’s will does not necessarily come to pass for every one at all times.
God’s power is different than His will, and everything that happens to people, though is through God’s power, is not necessarily in accordance with His will. Many times, in fact, God’s will does not come to pass because He has sovereignly presented people with a choice to choose or reject His will, and He does not enforce His will on any individual. Some choose to obey the Divine law and thus use the given power in accordance to God’s will and see the fruits of such a living; others, though still using God’s power, prefer not to live in alignment with God’s will, and thus experience their lives according to their own personal will. Therefore, people must not attribute every action, outcome or consequence to God’s will and must understand that they have the responsibility of embracing God’s will to see the blessings that come as a consequence.