God's Will

It seems to me that to adopt God’s will and stifle our own is nothing more than to acknowledge that He knows what is the best course of action to be taken, what will ultimately bring about the highest degree of happiness and goodness. I so often hear the importance of denying ourselves and submitting to His will being stressed and it fills me with apprehension. I never thought I could do it. What will He require of me? What is His terrible will? I will not be a puppet! I am my own man!

All this reluctance to conform to the desires of God has been in vain. To submit to His will is no different and no more daunting than to take good advice. It may be difficult when dealing with more severe issues. Surely, the less we trust Him, the more difficult it may be. But in general, it is a simple and pleasurable thing to do. Unfortunately, sometimes this becomes apparent only in retrospect.

What is the worst thing that could result from conforming to His will? You get a job and find financial security? You donate to the poor and find some respect for yourself? You don’t have promiscuous sex with that person and avoid getting syphilis? Sure, you didn’t get to relieve yourself of some sexual tension. What a bummer. But you will never see the huge consequence that you avoided by following the will of God. Had you refused to do so, you would have been afflicted with a very nasty STD. I do not speak from experience.

THAT is the reason for trust. We are ignorant of the horrors we are avoiding in our submission to His will. We need to entirely eradicate from our minds the concept that He lords these rules over us just to control us like a tyrant. If absolute control is what He wanted, we would have no free will. He is only looking out for us. We are dumb. Few would deny it. We need guidance. In obedience – as unattractive as it may seem to us – we have it.