A couple weeks ago, I wrote a post about learning to surrender to God’s will. I wrote about how I’d been reluctant to surrender to God’s will, because I didn’t like the idea of giving up the freedom to run my life the way I choose.
I overcame my reluctance by strengthening my personal testimony that
1) God is all powerful, and
2) God’s love for me has no end.
I asked myself, If I really believed these two things, why wouldn’t I want God directing my life? Not only is He all-knowing and all-powerful, but He wants what’s best for me. So of course I should have no reservations to trust in His will.
After writing this article, however, I felt like I was still missing something significant. As I was lying in bed one night contemplating my willingness to surrender to God’s will, something clicked. I had been approaching this all wrong.
I thought that I had finally reached a point of spiritual maturity by relenting and accepting God’s will for me. Now I realize how entitled I had become! I’ve come to realize that it’s amazing that the most powerful, loving, all-knowing being even knows I exist, let alone has an opinion about my life. It’s a miracle that God even has a will for me.
While I’ve often been taught that I am entitled to know God’s will, I mustn’t allow a sense of entitlement to overshadow a feeling of gratitude.
I invite you to take a moment to participate in a thought experiment with me.
Think of a person that you respect for their wealth of experience and wisdom (alive or dead). Perhaps you are thinking of Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Confucius, or even Oprah Winfrey. Now imagine that you could go up to them, and ask them for advice on a particular problem you are facing in life. How much would you value their advice?
You would probably feel honored and lucky to have such an amazing person take the time to understand your problem and offer a suggestion. You would assuredly view the advice from this person as a precious gift to treasure. You no doubt would count the experience as one of the highlights of your life. You can probably see where I’m going with this.
God is infinitely more wise, powerful, and influential than the wisest of the wise thinkers on my list. The very fact that such an incredible being has a will for me is in and of itself nothing short of miraculous. God’s will is a precious gift that deserves infinitely more appreciation and attention than the best advice I’ve ever received.
When I had this realization, I immediately felt abashed for my earlier attitude. How presumptuous I was to feel like I needed to be convinced to be willing to accept God’s will for me. In all reality, I should feel an immense feeling of gratitude and love that
1) God has a will for me, and
2) He is willing to share it with me.
Instead of reluctantly and half-heartedly accepting this most precious gift, I should be earnestly pleading to Him for it and wholeheartedly thanking Him when it is given.
There are countless miracles at work all around me every day, if only I have the right perspective to see them for what they really are. I will be working a lot harder to feel less entitled and more grateful for God’s will.
