Thy Will Be Done

"My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." - Matthew 26:39

We cry out, "Abba, Father," which really comes close to the translations of the first instinctive words as an infant, to remind our selves of our position to God and to get in to a relationship with Him. The understanding of God as our Father is not only crucial because Jesus directs us to this title when we approach Him with our prayers, but also because it is healthy for our spirituality - the position of God as our Father and us as infants humble us to see that He knows all and we do not. It is really when we forget or do not know of our infancy, we are not able to surrender to His will. How often do we come to our heavenly Father, who knows what is eternally healthy for us, and ask/demand the desires of our heart? I'm not supposing that as Christians we should not petition, because we should. However, we should not petition without recognizing God as our Father, and without surrendering to His will. As Jesus faced taking the burden of humanity, He petitioned to God, but never forgot the importance of carrying out the will of the Father. Tim Keller puts it perfectly when he says, "The child who acknowledges that he is a child is ironically more mature. The more childlike you are the less childish you are, spiritually speaking. And the more the parental heart goes out to that child." It is only when we understand this Father to son/daughter relationship, we are humbled, spiritually more mature, and God is able to show us and give us things He couldn't have possible done so before. As a parent would trust a child who is more mature, God is also able to trust us with greater things of His realm when we acknowledge our infancy and are humbled. We, too often, ask and want the greater things of God, without readying our relationship and our character for Him. And this sinful nature is simply the byproduct of misunderstanding or forgetting of who God is - Our Father.

John Wesley prayed a powerful "Thy will be done" prayer:

"I am no longer my own, but Thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, Rank me to whom thou wilt.

Put me to doing, Put me to suffering.

Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee.

Let me be full, Let me be empty.

Let me have all things, Let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things to thy approval and thy disposal.

And now that I have settled this,

O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Now thou art mine and I am thine.

So be it! And the commitment now I make on earth,

let it be ratified in heaven, Amen"

Are we able to speak these words as Christians? Do we really mean what we say when we recite the Lord's Prayer?

I believe one of the most beautiful thing about Christianity is that when we surrender, we actually do not limit ourselves, but free ourselves to the workings of His Kingdom - God is able to manifest Himself in us! And this has been His plan all along - to be manifested in us. However, without surrendering, our pride will only fill our hearts, our natural reality will take priority over His supernatural realm, and we will not be able to experience God. I pray that our church becomes a body that will honor God as our Father, will seek to see His face with true humility, and will surrender our hearts to carry out His will in every department of our lives.