Facing Self-will

John 6:38

  For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.

You and I are human. Being human means we make mistakes. One of the mistakes common to us all is the tendency to do whatever we want.

We tell others, “I will compete in that race.” It doesn’t matter if something important comes up like an invitation to be Best Man or Maid of Honor in a wedding. We turn down all invitations in order to compete. We send a gift, wish them well, and continue training for our own big day.

Some of us don’t pray about our decisions. Some make a decision and then ask God to make it happen. We throw out emergency prayers all the time, for example: we need a parking space on a rainy day or we need that policeman to not pull us over for speeding.

What would happen if we allowed God into our decision-making process? Can we be patient enough to wait and find out what God’s will is before we act?

All of us could use a little self-discipline now and then.

We could take a moment and examine our self-will the way Jesus did at the Mount of Olives as shown in Luke 22:42, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

“Not my will” is a prayer that requires us to stop and think about what we’re doing. If we’re powering through our day like a bulldozer, we may miss the blessings God planted along our path.

We aren’t going to be perfect, but we can make changes to our lifestyle to include God’s ideas before we make our plans. These changes may force us to slow down and listen rather than speed up and accomplish. Listening to God’s wisdom helps our preparation and prevents our mistakes.

Are you ready to face self-will with me? Jesus had to do it too. We are not alone.