My Will vs. God's Will

My Will vs. God’s Will

“I have discovered this principle of life – that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.  I love God’s law with all my heart.  But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind.  This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.  Oh, what a miserable person I am!  Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?  Thank God!  The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.  So you see how it is:  In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.”

Romans 7:21-25 NLT

Have you ever had this conversation with God:  “Here I am again, Lord, coming before you with the same thing.  Ugggh, why do I do this?  I know I shouldn’t do this, but I just can’t help myself.” 

 

Exactly!  You . . . can’t . . . help . . . yourself!  Turning from a life of sin is about surrender.  Giving up YOUR will, and surrendering to GOD’S will.  In verse 18b, Paul says, ‘I want to do what is right, but I can’t.  I want to do what is good, but I don’t.  I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.’   Without surrender, it’s an endless cycle of repeated sin. 

 

So now what?  You die to yourself daily.  As Jesus said, “not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)  If Jesus could surrender to the will of God to die for us, then why shouldn’t we?

 

Here are a few steps to help you get started:

Ask.  Start your day asking God to direct you. 

 

Listen.  Really listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit. 

 

Surrender.  Surrender to the voice of the Spirit.  I have been guilty of hearing the Spirit of God, but pushing past to do what I want.  That certainly is not surrender. 

 

If we’re going to truly be changed, we have to live by, “not my will, but yours be done.”  Surrender.  In order to get where God has called us to be, there’s no other way.

Margaret Slaughter