God’s will is done when our wills are broken. (1)

While driving to his favorite restaurant, a husband asked his wife, “Where would you like to go to dinner?”  After listing places where she’d love to eat, he continued on to the restaurant he had previously chosen.

A friend commenting on the disingenuousness of the husband’s inquiry, remarked, “Why ask what she wants, when you plan to do what you want?”

Ouch! I do the same to God!

As Christians, we want God’s will to be our will.  God, on the other hand, wants our will to be His.

Jesus knew this much.  He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Not my will, but your will be done” (Luke 22:42).  While Jesus was not keen on suffering a crucifixion, He was less keen on displacing God’s will.  He knew better.

Martin Luther wrote:

It pleases God when our wills are hindered and defeated.  It’s crucial that we allow our wills to be totally defeated so that only God’s will is done.  Christ’s will was good … the best one of all time.  If Christ had to surrender his will so that God’s will could be done, why do we make such a fuss over our own wills?” (1)

Being a Christian is a battle of wills.

We do not like our wills to be broken.

I was raised in a family where I was taught to think for myself and to stand by my convictions.  There are times when this inner-personal strength is a problem for me as a Christian.

I frequently tell others, “If I could, I’d change a few things in the Bible.”  It’s a honest confession and one which recognizes a truth I must battle daily.  My will is not God’s will.

When Jesus told the disciples that He was heading to Jerusalem to die on the cross, Peter took Jesus to task and rebuked him.  We are not sure what Peter said to Jesus, but we do know Jesus’ response to Peter: “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”  (Mark 8:33)

If Peter had his way, God’s redemptive work would not have been accomplished.

When you are in a battle of wills with God, it might be good to ask, “Where would I be today if Jesus had not yielded to God’s will?”

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1. Luther, Martin; Galvin, James C. (2009-05-19). Faith Alone: A Daily Devotional (p. 49). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.