Choosing His will

This is my latest piece for ZEST (church mid-week publication)

Enjoy reading and comments welcomed :)

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--- Choosing His Will ---

“Thy will be done’ remain as one of the most challenging and difficult prayer one can ever pray. In some ways, it seems like the most ‘hopeless’ of all our prayer requests. Seldom do we mean it. Seldom does it seem to be ‘answered’ (well, at least the way we want it to).

“The Road Best Travelled’ (written by Ray Pritchard) suggested 4 reasons why we find it difficult to pray ‘YOUR WILL BE DONE”:

1. Because it means giving up control of your own life

God has a will or calling for each one of our lives. Yet we have our little heart desires and ambition that we pursue. It creates tension when both are in conflict. When we pray ‘Your will be done’, it seems as though we have to deny our passion and dreams and give up controlling our lives. No! In fact, it simply means our lives are surrendered to God’s divine control, the safest place to be but a guaranteed success, isn’t it?!

2. Because we often doubt that God wants the best for us

We’ve all known the frustration of unanswered prayer. Many at times we heard people saying ‘Pray for the opposite of what you want, because God always gives us the opposite of what we ask for”. We laughed but many secretly believed that’s true in our hearts. The prayer becomes difficult, if not impossible, because we are not sure God really cares for us. Look to the cross. Think of the 6 hours of excruciating pain. Study His face and expression. See the wounds in His hands, His feet and the bloody scene. Was it not for us that He died? Do we still doubt that God loves us?

3. Because God’s will sometimes involves suffering and pain

That was true for Jesus. Sin in all its ugliness, all its vile reaches, all its putrefying force, was looming before Him when He approached the hours leading to His death. As Jesus saw the hours of His destined gruesome death approached, He prayed “My father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will but as you will” (Matt 26:39). These were words of faith! They are the words of a man who understands fully what it will cost to do the will of God. “Your will be done” is a hard prayer to pray. Jesus knew it, but He prayed anyway. Blessed are those who know it and pray that prayer anyway.

4. Because you are paying against the status quo

The world we live in today is sick - Abortion... broken homes.... starvation.... violence... racial prejudice.... ethnic hatred.... corruption... murder... rape... persecution.... etc... Therefore, He sent His Son to change the status quo! In a world where God’s will is not done, we are to continuously and tirelessly pray that God’s will will be done. He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world! We need to all rise up against the status quo!

It’s not wrong to struggle with this prayer. So many of us go through life with a clenched fist, trying to control the uncontrollable, trying to mastermind or even manipulate all the circumstances, trying to make our plans work and our dreams fulfilled. So we hold tightly to the things we value – our career, our reputation, our happiness, our health, our children, our education, our wealth, our possessions. We even hold tightly to life itself. But those things we hold so tightly all belonged to God!

S.Lewis said there are two kinds of people: those who say to God, “Your will be done” and those to whom God says in the end, “Your will be done”. Which kind are you?”

Let’s choose His will as we pray this prayer:

O Lord, Your will be done –
Nothing more...
Nothing less..
Nothing else...
AMEN!

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Testimony or sharing follows:)

Like any other Christians, I’ve always been praying and asking God to reveal to me His will and calling for me as I want to be able to meet the Heavenly Father to hear Him say that ‘Welcome home my good and faithful daughter!’. Yet, after so many years, I’ve discovered that knowing God’s will is really all about knowing God and it’s a lifelong journey.

I’d like to share with you a few ‘little steps’ of obedience I took in choosing His ‘ways’ and the great delight in doing so:

Career change It’s been one and a half year now since I resigned from my last job. I felt the Lord leading me to a season of change - to focus in serving Him and not get overly bogged down by long hours, stressful and demanding working environment. It was a move against the status quo. It also meant giving up a job that gives me faster pay rise & promotion, better recognition & prospect and settled for stability and steadiness (slow too!). It did not just change my working hours and lifestyle, but it changed my life – my attitude, my perspective towards life in Christ!

It was not a bed of roses thereafter. Reality is that there are new challenges that I’m facing now. But I understand now that the change was necessary for me to finally learn about being ‘still in the Lord’ and to ‘rest’ in Him physically, emotionally and spiritually. It was a move ‘for Him’ but now I know it was all ‘for me’!

Cell Leadership I remembered being reluctant and hesitant to take up cell leadership even towards the multiplication due to struggles of the flesh - insecurity and fear of inadequacy (Yes, just like Moses!). Not to mention the plan of the evil ones to plant doubts and hardship into me in the form of ‘objection from family; misunderstanding with other leaders; difficulties in managing the transition etc’. I recalled that night at the leaders’ meeting, I was prepared to see the pastor to express my intention of not taking up as I’ve ‘counted the cost’ and am not prepared to ‘pay the price’. It was during the worship that I remembered the Lord saying this in my heart loud and clear, ‘Is it about ME? or about You?’Take your eyes off the ‘mountain’, look at the lives of these people (cell members) i’m placing under your care, aren’t they precious to you too?’ I teared and I surrendered! The concern of the world and struggle in the flesh fade away instantly. I chose to serve Him that day and I never looked back.

Today, I can only stand amazed at how God has been faithful in nurturing their growth and in multiplying their lives, their gifting and talents. I’m proud of each one of them!

Called in marketplace One of my burning passions is to reach out to the marketplace and I’ve always wondered how I could do that as I don’t hold an ‘influential (senior)’ position. The Lord encouraged me to just be faithful and creative in small ways and He will be with me. So I did! I initiated a sharing group with 2 ladies (a young believer and a seeker). We had sessions on ‘how to be good wife from Proverbs 31’ , ‘What it means to live a purpose driven life’, and ‘what is prayer’..... then to ‘how to love the unlovable’ and next on ‘What does the bible say about employee (slaves)’....we also had our first prayer meeting just last week, we prayed for individual needs, for strength and wisdom upon the people dealing with the different issues + projects in our department, the nation and the world too!). Our group grew from 3 to 6 now! From once a fortnight to once a week! We’re all excited about it!

Praise be to God! Many more seekers out there that we’re praying to reach out to. I just know that as we remain faithful in this, God will lead the way! Just imagine the ‘influence’ of 6 passionate believers in one single department!
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I can’t agree more with Ray Pritchard that God’s guidance is revealed to us one step at a time and it demands our obedience whether it makes sense or not. Yes, it starts with obeying Him in small little ways and our faith journey will soar.

We will know His will and His ways as we stay close to Him! Let Him guide you and let’s choose His will!