Our lives are governed by our will. How much, though, do we understand the nature of our will? How much control do we have over our will? How does God view our will? It’s a big topic with Him. He seeks to fashion our will; to bring it into subjection to His.
God truly “works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure(Philippians 2:13). He, therefore, patiently waits for us to bring our values, desires and interests into alignment with His. He waits for us to become dissatisfied with the consequences of living contrary to His ways. He knows a time will come when we realize the misfortune of poor choices. As we seek Him and yield to His ways He reveals measures of His redemptive grace.
RELEVANCE
God gave Paul the grace to learn about the will. In Romans 7:14-25 he wrestle within and declares, “what I am doing, I do not understand….how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.”
Paul understood that we deal with internal conflict. Our fleshly nature is drawn in a way contrary to God, for as he revealed in Romans 8:7, our mind “is enmity against God.” Our will is therefore influenced by a mind at odds with God.
The LORD felt our humanity. In Gethsemane He fought the eternal battle of the will, and won. In His humanity, He felt the pressure of a will battling submission to the Father’s will. His battle was truly grueling. He knew He was about to face the ultimate trial of life—rejection and separation from the Father, cruel beating, crucifixion, and a battle in hell with His arch enemy, the devil. Yet He submitted to the Father’s will. “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).
The LORD demonstrated that the Father desires resolute submission to His will. He has created us with free will, but seeks to see His children walking in alignment with His will. Hence, Jesus revealed a key thing to ask of Father God in prayer: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
REFLECT AND RELATE
How much are you conscious of the inner battle of the will?
How do you deal with reconciling your will vs. God’s will?
If you truly seek His will, He will guide you to find it.
REFERENCES
James 4:1-17