Yes I Will

As I sat still in my room after work, I reflected on the parts of the day where I just knew my words, thoughts, and actions fell short of the mark when it came to doing God’s will. I listened to gossip around the water cooler, grumbled about co-workers who arrived late to a meeting, and honked and sneered at drivers as I headed home.

Even though I prayed to let everything be according to his will that very morning, I still allowed pride and impatience to get in the way, wanting no one’s will done but mine.

As Christians, we often hear about the importance of seeking God’s will. But we know that saying yes to him can be one of the hardest things to do, especially when our hearts want something else.

In Isaiah 50, the prophet spoke of the coming of the one who would be fully obedient with an ear open to listen to God. Obedience to his will is important to obtaining the blessings our Savior wishes to pour out to us. For the faithful, this means following his commandments in his strength, by faith, bearing the trials, and persevering through the roadblocks life places in our lane, all according to the perfect will of God who forever “works for the good” (Romans 8:28).

Our acts of obedience glorify Christ, and obedience is also a corridor to draw near to him, helping us deepen our trust in our Savior, allowing him to shape us into his likeness.

Let us seek to surrender ourselves more to our Redeemer, knowing we are loved and valued by him, opening our closed hearts, dampening our opinionated thoughts, and harnessing our stubborn egos. Then we can see how harmony with his will is central to living out our Christian faith as we journey with Christ.

Lord, help me choose to put your will first, knowing it is the best way to live out an abundant life of faith—and grant me the grace to desire it. Amen.

Throughout This Day: Seeking God’s will acknowledges he has more knowledge than we do and that his plan for us is best. Do we demonstrate our trust in the Lord’s plan in the daily choices we make?