Not As I Will…

Surrender

Matthew 26:39 – “Not as I will, but as You will.”

Early this morning, I found myself praying for clarity about the relationship between faith, authority, and power and submission to God’s will. This is an area I’ve talked about before, but I continue to have conversations with people who tell me that if I petition God for something that I desire and fail to believe with certainty that request will come to pass, I am demonstrating a lack of faith. But here’s the thing…I know…with complete and total certainty…that God can do any and every single solitary thing that He sets His will to do. I have no doubt about that whatsoever. What I question, though, is whether my request ALIGNS with His will; because if it doesn’t, I know there is a very real possibility that the answer to my petition will be a firm “No” or “Not yet…” And I’m okay with that.

In these moments, I always think about Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, when He prayed, “Not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39) before He was handed over to the chief priests by Judas. He could have called down “12 legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53) to save himself if He so willed it, but He knew that it was more important for His Father’s will to be fulfilled. He desired God’s will above His own, and I believe that is also what is required of us.

I think it’s safe to say that when we’ve received a specific promise, vision, or Word from God, we can be confident that in time, it will come to pass; but when a request comes solely from our flesh, we must be willing to give it to God and accept His decision about whether it aligns with His will. Of course, there are times when we fail to surrender in this way, and God fulfills our requests anyway. We’ve all been there, and it rarely turns out well for us in the long run. In the end, we’re better off if we first seek His will and are willing to hear a “Yes,” a “No,” or a “Not yet.” The answer may not be one that we want to hear, but we can take comfort in knowing that if God closes a door, He does it out of His divine wisdom and His unending love for us.

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Give It to God…

SURRENDER 

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Matthew 11:28-30 –  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Reflections: The other day, after averting crisis number 1,892 :), I realized that I tend to follow a pattern, of sorts, when unexpected challenges pop up in my life. First, I may experience a brief moment of panic as I realize what’s happening, and then I get this laser focus as I set about trying to find a solution to the problem at hand…in my own power. Oh, yes, I may mumble an offhand, “Please, God!” as I go about this process; but oftentimes, it’s not until I hit a wall in my own efforts that I stop, find my center, and turn my focus and attention to the one who promises to take all my burdens, handle all of my cares, and assuage all of my fears.

In that moment, any remaining panic or frustration is replaced with a sweet peace, as I FINALLY seek God in the midst of my storm. As I begin to surrender my problems to Him, it becomes so much easier to accept my limitations and trust God to work it out and see me through. And you know what? He ALWAYS DOES! EVERY time! WITHOUT fail! Sometimes He is subtle with His solutions, and other times, He works in ways that are nothing short of amazing! It makes me wonder why I insist on going through this habitual process instead of just seeking God in the first place. 🙂

If you, like me, tend to try to solve your problems in your own power before tapping into the Power of God, maybe it’s time to adopt a new approach (I know I’m giving it a go!). 🙂 We’d save so much time, energy, and STRESS if we would lean on God instead of relying on our own strength, if we would focus on Him instead of our circumstances, and if we would trust Him to guide, direct, and see us through whatever problems we may face instead of thinking that we can do it all on our own. Who really wants to do that anyway? 🙂 He’s our Way Maker, and He promises that if we surrender our cares to Him, He will give us peace, clarity, and rest for our souls.

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Shine Your Light!

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!