Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” -Mark 14:35-36 (NIV)
It’s an amazing thing that we have an omnipotent Creator, but One who also gave us free will. And at the intersection of God’s power and our free will, we can actually choose to turn away from Him.
When God tells you what you must do, you have a choice: Through faith and obedience, let His blessings overflow into your life after a season of trials to strengthen you, or limit His blessings and work in your life by choosing your own way.
Jesus Himself expressed to His Father how His Father’s will was to be done, above anything else.
So when you’re wrestling with guilt that it’s not second nature for you to surrender to God’s will, know that He understands. But also know that following God’s will results in blessings and favor you’ll never experience without choosing His path.
Over and over in Scripture, God asks to believe in Him…and He comes through every time not just in the life of the one who believed, but the blessings pour out far beyond. In the examples below, the blessings spread worldwide.
Noah was tasked by God to build an ark which would house the beginnings of a new world over the watery grave of the old. He was told that the world would be destroyed, and he would have to endure a century of ridicule and labor to build a ship for a storm no one could see coming but him and God. But it came, and it was Noah’s family that survived and started again after the flood. (Genesis 6-9)
God tested Abraham by instructing him to sacrificing his son to Him, and Abraham followed His instructions till God spared Isaac at the last moment (Genesis 22:2-14).
Mary, mother of Jesus, most certainly lived a surrendered life. A Walk in the Word devotional explains that Mary surrendered to God’s will:
- even though it was difficult;
- even though she didn’t understand;
- without knowing all the details; and
- by faith.
Read the whole devotional, which expands on all the above points »
Know that when you surrender to God’s will, the road ahead may be perilous, but He will bless you and others through your faith and obedience to reap greater reward than if you chose your own way. His way is the only sure thing. And, over time, your path and God’s path will be less of an intersection but lines that align and converge as He shapes you in His will…and you will feel so much freer when you realize there really is only one blessed way to go.
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