Deferring to God’s Will Be Done — Not Mine

All nestled in at my home won’t stop several of my beloved friends to come over to meet together tonight. We will come together as sisters in Christ and I’m quite assured of the fact — “Where two or three are gathered together in His name — He is in the midst of us!” (Matthew 18:20). So, no fear here!

Prior to the CVID19 “change of life”, I was experiencing my own life change. I was thinking that God had me in His sovereign test tube. Usually in a sweet flow of His mercy and grace, my “apple-cart” got upset. I found yielding to His will — not mine be done — is the best choice. I had two opportunities to BE Jesus. One, with a restaurant manager which didn’t fare too well and an “encounter” with a store manager that was much better.

I was picking up my new cell phone that had been on order (the unlocked version took several days to come in). The sales rep assured me that if I would go ahead and pay for it, I could trade in my old phone for $125 when it arrives. But, oh contraire! This day, he said the offer ended and couldn’t give it to me. I asked for a manager who confirmed it. I could feel the rant starting to surface when I recalled that restaurant experience and decided $125 wasn’t worth my “little light” dimming. Actually, it became a holy moment as I started thinking: “I’ll bless someone with this perfectly good, old phone!” Take that, Satan!

Back to the title of this blog today: “Deferring to God’s will be done – not my will be done!” Another scenario. Another eyes-opening experience. I recognized how our emotions can be snafued by the enemy of our souls. As a Christ-follower, it’s His will, not my feelings. It’s about not having to be right because God will make it right.

I’ve come up with some solutions to conquering my emotions. When I’m upset or frustrated — I need to quickly get a grip and ask myself “Do I really need it to be my way? Or, do I defer to God having His way? After all, He is the rectifier. Looking and acting like Him in every situation is a win for Him AND me.

Are these negative feelings helping or hurting me? Are these feelings making my light grow brighter or dimmer? A lot of our feelings seem natural, but they’re actually self-defeating. Oh, I get it – from my restaurant and Best Buy experience. I was feeling like I was being taken advantage of in both situations. But were my emotions helping or hurting my representation as a follower of Christ? Does nagging work? Has it ever worked? When somebody mistreats or offends us, does it make us want to change? No! All it does is make us defensive.

Managing my emotions is a “big-girl” discipline and an “atta-girl” stamp of approval from my Heavenly Father. I think the Apostle Peter called it just right: “From now on, then, you must live the rest of your earthly lives controlled by God’s will and not by human desires.” (1 Peter 4:2). And if the perfect One, Jesus, deferred to God’s will, so must I. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42