“Presumably we, too, desire to do the will of God. Two issues face us when we seek to conform to the will of God. The first is discernment, the second willingness. How do we discern the will of God in the flux of circumstances in this life, and then become willing to do His will?...Our first task then as disciples is to be spiritual so that we may more readily judge the will of God aright in every circumstance.” (Dynamis 5/21/2018)
“The reasons the disciples are [were] painfully slow to understand is that they have [had] such little faith (1 Cor. 16:8); they would not fully grasp Christ’s teachings until Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was given.” (Orthodox Study Bible, 1 Corinthians 16:5-12)
“The simple desire to know and follow God's will is the key to understanding it. Spiritual blindness comes from unwillingness to know God or to recognize His authority.” (Orthodox Study Bible, John 7:17)
“Resonance of our spirits with the Holy Spirit leads us to embrace suffering for the Lord’s sake, however it may come. When we are willing to endure discomfort or pain in our struggle to draw closer to God, we also gain in our capacity to be led unfailingly by the Spirit.” (Dynamis 6/30/2018)
“The life we are called to live can better be described as “sacramental” rather than as “moral.” The behaviors of the one might often seem similar or even indistinguishable from the other. But that is a matter of discernment. The true Christian should always remember that apart from Christ, we “can do nothing…The first step towards understanding God’s will is believing in Christ…” (Father Stephen Freeman, Foundation Study Bible, Psalms 40:8)