Thy Will Be Done
I think I am a control freak because I am human. I want things my way. I have my own perception of how my day should look, and I get easily frustrated if it doesn't go how I want it to. I have an idea of how I should look, what I should say, who I am, and who the people around me are; if that makes sense. And I have built these images up in my head because of my life experiences.
Perception is quite the interesting thing, isn't it? We all perceive things to be a certain way. And I believe that this is a God given gift to man. Without it, would we get much done? I don't believe that we would. We are made in His image, and I think that all of us want things to be good in our lives. When they aren't, we get uncomfortable. Circumstance often drives me. If my day was easy, I can rest easy. But what is easy for me, might not be easy for you and vise versa. It's our own image of how we think our lives should go.
Years ago, someone gave me a picture of a cross. It was rusted green, and underneath the cross were the engraved words, "surrender." It was so early on in my walk with God, and I didn't really understand the meaning of the word. Since then, I have had many things happen in my life that I have been forced to "surrender." Relationships. Things. Ideas. Perceptions. Things I thought that were so important, aren't. People that I so badly wanted to change, haven't. And I have since surrendered many things. Usually, I have to surrender the same thing many different times.
Jesus tells us how to pray. In the "Our Father," Jesus prays, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done; on earth, as it is in Heaven." This is where I think about perception. Because my perceptions and ideas and desires are laughable compared to the mind of the Father. My prayers are so important to Him, but I wonder what it would be like if I started praying more by listening to Him. I am such a control freak, that I end up trying to control God!
God has been teaching me what it means to surrender things. In fact, I thought that I was doing a pretty good job at "surrendering." I read my Bible every day, I go to church, I pray, I serve. In my mind, when I see the words"surrender," I kind of think, duh. I do that. I surrender my life to the cross. But I don't let go of my perceptions. I still think of God on my terms. Even when I pray and read scripture; my perception, my life, my circumstance often precedes my understanding of who God is and what it means that I am going to Heaven.
So lately, God has been challenging me. I have been praying for specific things in my life like I always do. But I have been laying my desires at His throne. And when I start to pray about things, or issues, or people that stem from my perception, I am quickly urged to repeat: "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done; on Earth as it is in Heaven." Because what better answer to prayer is there than things being like Heaven here on Earth? And whether that means my pimples go away, or all of my bills be paid, or me to look a certain way, or things to be a certain way; it doesn't matter. If I suffer, it is as He might will. And if I succeed,, it as if He might will. His will is better than my perceptions. And that is where we can experience a taste of Him. I believe that is how we find peace.
I don't deserve a better life here, but He died. I don't deserve to be loved by Him, but He died. And He wants the fullest life for me, but He can't work with me in the way. So I actively attempt to relinquish my control; fully aware that I will have to do it again. And so doing, I pray that His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Perception is quite the interesting thing, isn't it? We all perceive things to be a certain way. And I believe that this is a God given gift to man. Without it, would we get much done? I don't believe that we would. We are made in His image, and I think that all of us want things to be good in our lives. When they aren't, we get uncomfortable. Circumstance often drives me. If my day was easy, I can rest easy. But what is easy for me, might not be easy for you and vise versa. It's our own image of how we think our lives should go.
Years ago, someone gave me a picture of a cross. It was rusted green, and underneath the cross were the engraved words, "surrender." It was so early on in my walk with God, and I didn't really understand the meaning of the word. Since then, I have had many things happen in my life that I have been forced to "surrender." Relationships. Things. Ideas. Perceptions. Things I thought that were so important, aren't. People that I so badly wanted to change, haven't. And I have since surrendered many things. Usually, I have to surrender the same thing many different times.
Jesus tells us how to pray. In the "Our Father," Jesus prays, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done; on earth, as it is in Heaven." This is where I think about perception. Because my perceptions and ideas and desires are laughable compared to the mind of the Father. My prayers are so important to Him, but I wonder what it would be like if I started praying more by listening to Him. I am such a control freak, that I end up trying to control God!
God has been teaching me what it means to surrender things. In fact, I thought that I was doing a pretty good job at "surrendering." I read my Bible every day, I go to church, I pray, I serve. In my mind, when I see the words"surrender," I kind of think, duh. I do that. I surrender my life to the cross. But I don't let go of my perceptions. I still think of God on my terms. Even when I pray and read scripture; my perception, my life, my circumstance often precedes my understanding of who God is and what it means that I am going to Heaven.
So lately, God has been challenging me. I have been praying for specific things in my life like I always do. But I have been laying my desires at His throne. And when I start to pray about things, or issues, or people that stem from my perception, I am quickly urged to repeat: "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done; on Earth as it is in Heaven." Because what better answer to prayer is there than things being like Heaven here on Earth? And whether that means my pimples go away, or all of my bills be paid, or me to look a certain way, or things to be a certain way; it doesn't matter. If I suffer, it is as He might will. And if I succeed,, it as if He might will. His will is better than my perceptions. And that is where we can experience a taste of Him. I believe that is how we find peace.
I don't deserve a better life here, but He died. I don't deserve to be loved by Him, but He died. And He wants the fullest life for me, but He can't work with me in the way. So I actively attempt to relinquish my control; fully aware that I will have to do it again. And so doing, I pray that His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
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