03/12/2026
Satan would have us think that obeying God’s will means that ours must be done away with, and that we must become some kind of automaton to God. He would have us believe that if we are within God’s will then our own has been erased. Friends, this couldn’t be further from the truth; our will is valued by our Heavenly Father. He desires that we choose to be obedient to His will and plan for us, but that it must come by our own free choice and be in concert with His own willingly. Jesus wasn’t forced to choose God’s will… He chose to set aside His own desires and to obey God’s will of His own accord.
“saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done."”
Luke 22:42 ESV
We are creatures that have been given a will of our own. At birth we were each doled out a measure of will by our creator; albeit it this will is more pronounced in some of us, more subtle in others, and within a few of us is incredibly strong and unyielding, but we all have one. This is what makes us who we are and requires us to choose the path that we will follow in life. It is also our will that we are asked to subjugate to God.
Parenting our children means that we must deal with their individual wills. We are required to teach them obedience without destroying their own self-determination, or who they are. We want them to conform to the overall will of God, society, and our family norms, without extracting from them the essence of their personality. This requires obedience... not because they agree blindly with everything we are asking, but out of such things as respect, submission to us as a higher authority, and by understanding what is considered an acceptable response. The Ten Commandments are all about the molding of our wills, and to provide a framework within which self, and will, must conform themselves. Had God not wanted us to choose He would have simply made us obedient and not given us a will of our own.
Yes, Jesus had a will of His own (“not my will, but yours, be done."); it was His own and was quite unique from His Father’s. He, like us, was required to choose, and to either conform to those things that His Father willed for Him, or to refuse, and separate Himself from Him. In this way Satan was able to tempt Him...
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”
Matthew 4:1 ESV
Jesus resisted temptation; His Will remained subject and in accord with God’s. There is no place in scripture where it is written that Jesus disobeyed God or chose anything other than total submission to God’s will. Oh, that we would always conform in like manner. Oh, that we would love and see the will of God just as Jesus did, and still does.
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV
We think, reason, and are fully capable of self-determination, but God asks that we conform ourselves to those things He would have us do... His will. He instructs us in what is good. This is just how we should instruct our children, and there are negative consequences to disobeying...
“to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.”
Romans 2:7-8 ESV
So, because we all have a will, and it is unique, we must choose. Which of these will we conform ourselves to, the perfect will of God in all things, or, our own wayward direction in life? Will we allow God’s will to decide our path, or our own self-will to determine what and who we will become? I don’t know the origin of this quote, but it applies here...” We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way.” but it seems to apply here. The easy way for us is to let God’s will, and our faith, dominate our imperfect lives and fallen natures. Let’s allow the example that Jesus set for us to lead us in obedience to God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will as we righteously make our way through this world towards Heaven and eternity.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”
Romans 12:2-3 KJV
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for your will and the perfect plan you have awaiting me in my life. I thank you for Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who leads me in the perfection of your will, and for the determination I receive through my faith in conforming to it... in obeying you. Keep me from temptation Father, but if it be your will that I should be tempted or confronted by evil then give me the strength to resist every temptation turn from evil, and adhere to your good and merciful desire for my life. Holy Father I realize that there will be times when you will ask me to do things that I don’t understand, and that I might disagree with because of my human nature and short sightedness, but in those times give me the faith to adhere completely to your will based on my trust in your goodness. Gracious Father, let your will guide me always. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you Father, and great is your grace and plan for my life. I will love and praise your name always Lord even in the hard times and when you ask me to drink from the bitter cup! Hear me now as I pray these things in the name of your Son Jesus and call out Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! To all of creation.
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10 ESV
Hear me now as I say in unison with all those who have chosen your will…. AMEN!
Rich Forbes