Yet Not My Will, But Thine Be Done
Yet not my will, but Thine be done. Luke 22:42
Sanctification is laying down my need for control.
That’s a definition I am working through as I am staring down the work of the Lord in my life. Every difficulty seems to bring me back to a very simple question-will I fight the Lord and His grace in bringing this, or will I die more to myself and allow Him to do what He sees fit.
Dying to myself means all of me-my physical body, my emotional desires, my intellect and its need to understand everything that happens. None of ME can trump my Lord’s desires for me. It seems the rest of my life will be spent applying that truth as layer after layer of me is peeled away in submission to Him.
So why don’t we just allow for sanctification? Why do we fight and cling to what little control we think we have? There’s all sorts of reasons, and they all begin with unbelief. They all start with the premise that I know best, and my approval is necessary for anything that comes my way. It’s as though my own kingdom can only have one sovereign and I don’t want to give up that throne.
So what do we do about this? How do we fight our desire for absolute total control and allow for God’s hand to be at work, even if that means discomfort and pain?
We make a choice.
That’s right, a choice.
God’s Word is full of choices. When Moses was retelling the Law in the book of Deuteronomy he wraps it up with the admonition to choose life! He has just spent 30 chapters reminding the children of Israel of their history and the faithfulness of God despite their wavering hearts. God has given them the Law so that they would know His requirements as they entered the Promised Land. He has made it clear what the Lord expects of them as they enter into His land. Then he boils it down to a binary choice-life or death.
It is still binary. This side of the cross, the choice still lies with us. Yes, if you are a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit, who is described as the power that enables us to live God’s way. But even then we are faced with situations and trials that force us to make a choice – for the Lord, or for what I determine as best.
Every situation that comes my way is another opportunity to make a choice for the Lord. Will I open my hands to Him and release control, and by faith accept His results? Or will I determine that I know best and keep working to ensure what I consider to be a good outcome?
The God who has ensured the best outcome for my eternity is the God who asks for control of my everyday life.
