Will of God

 

Who is able to advise the Spirt of the Lord? Who knows enough to give Him advice or teach Him? Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice? Does He need instruction about what is good? Did someone teach Him what is right or show Him the path of justice?” Isaiah 40:13-14 NLT.

For years, I was guilty of bargaining with God to say ‘yes’ to my life plans. As ridiculous as it may sound, I prayed to bring God glory through the blessings He bestowed upon me. My prayers to God were all centred on myself. I can’t believe I prayed to God to help me achieve all my hopes and aspirations, so, that the rewards would bring honour to His name. Looking back, this makes no sense to me. I foolishly asked God to accommodate my will in His plan for me.  

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT.

“For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3:35 ESV

For years, I struggled with giving up on my will. Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing! Believe me, a life without Jesus, is not a life. What’s unfortunate about living our own will is that, we can’t do it alone. We’re not supposed to, yet many of us try regardless. To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with having dreams as long as they’re in line with God’s plan for our lives. The more we cling to the Lord, the more we will know Him; and in the face of adversity, it is comforting to know that our Heavenly Father has everything under control through Christ Jesus.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 NLT.

Some of you reading this may be wondering, ‘What is God’s will for me?’ The answer to that question is still to bring glory to His name in all you do, BUT, not according to our terms! How? Surrender our will to Him, through Christ Jesus. It’s not easy, but when we give up on our will in favour of God’s, God is in control. Giving our plans to Jesus Christ is a daily sacrifice. As a result, it is critical to spend time with God on a daily basis, seeking guidance from Him, reading the Bible, and praying. This is for our own good, as it helps us to put our trust in His ways! In doing so, God demonstrates to us, time and time again, how infinitely good He is! God promises to work everything out for our benefit. We shouldn't evaluate His goodness through His blessings.  Our Heavenly Father through Christ our Lord is love, therefore His will for us, is love. Every day, we should spend time reflecting on God’s Word. The Word of God helps us, as we must continuously seek to surrender to God’s will.

 And those who know Your name put their trust in You, for You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. Psalm 9:10 NLT.

Through Christ Jesus, my relationship with God has shifted from a focus on what He can do for me, to a focus on learning more about God for the joy of His being! In doing so, I am reminded of the significant work that happened on the cross. We should all spend time in His Word, as it reminds us of what we’ve been rescued from. Instead of bargaining with God, let us honour our Lord and Saviour. Remember that because He is God, everything He does is according to His will. Not ours. We must trust God to do things in His time, not ours. We should bring all our hopes and aspirations to God, and if it is meant for us, it will always be, through Jesus Christ.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33 NLT.

“For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord-who is the Spirit-makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NLT.

Thank God, for Jesus Christ our Lord, I no longer live for my will but God’s and it’s all thanks to the Holy Spirit’s guidance! Spending time with God has shown me how much superior He is than my dreams, and how inferior my aspirations are in comparison to Him. Within me, there’s a joy, almost to the point of bursting. I’m not sure how to explain it, but when living for God’s will there is freedom!

“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13 NLT.