3.9.8 "The Wrestle with Will"

"The Wrestle with Will"

Numbers 11:24-13:33
Mark 14:22-52
Psalm 52:1-9
Proverbs 11:1-3

The wrestle with will is a life-long issue. We've all heard of, and may have dealt with, or even have been the "Strong-willed child". I think there's a pretty good chance that I was one of those. It's an intense desire to get your own way.

There's a battle between "our will" and God's will every day. Do we do things our way, or his? In "sunday school" mode we can all raise our hand and say we want God's will, but in the heat of the battle when we are deeply entrenched in our comfort zone, it can become a different story.

It may help to understand that Jesus "wrestled" with will. While his will wasn't motivated by selfishness the way ours is, the battle was intense all the same. His battle was in understanding the magnitude of what he was about to do.

"And he said to them, 'My soul is crushed by the sorrow to the point of death; stay here and watch with me.' He went on a little further and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the awful hour awaiting him might never come. 'Father, Father,' he said, 'everything is possible for you. Take away this cup from me...'"

Jesus didn't stop there like I just did. I don't know if I could have prayed any farther. I have some really good ideas. I'd kick the creativity into high gear. I'm sure there's a way we could work around this. There's got to be a better solution. Just give me more time to figure this out God. I know what you're telling me to do, but I'm not quite ready to go there...

"'... Yet I want your will, not mine.'" Jesus submitted to the will of the Father. It's a HUGE deal to not just say, "ok, we'll do it your way..." but to say, "I WANT your will!" How can you even say that unless there has been a death to selfishness already?

Death to selfishness... how does that come about? Practice. Doing great things for God is nothing more than the culmination of the small things.

Do you ever feel like you hit a "stale" moment in your Christian walk? I would dare to say that it is a direct result of not dying to selfishness at some level. It's often the result of disobedience. (remember delayed obedience is disobedience!)

Wrestling with the will of God is a battle we want to "lose". We don't want to strengthen our will with the steroids of opinion and comfort and selfish ambition. We need to starve our will and feed the desire that His will be done.

Got your DLOW? (Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship) It's a life of obedience. It's a life of "doing the will of him who sent me."



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


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