Not My Will, But His

In review of Matthew 26:39b it says, O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Bottom Line:

Above everything we should desire His will and not our own.

What this means to me:

I certainly do not want to feel pain or have hard things come upon me, however, If it's God’s will I will want and face it, letting His will be done and not my own.

Today's passage comes from a section where Matthew is telling us how Jesus agonized in the garden before his crucifixion. Matthew tells me, that Jesus bowed with face to the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.

Jesus was in great anguish over his approaching physical pain, separation from the Father, and death for the sins of the world. The divine course was set, but he, in his human nature, still struggled. Because of the anguish Jesus experienced, he can relate to my suffering. Jesus' strength to obey came from his relationship with God the Father, who is also the source of our strength.

Jesus was not rebelling against his Father's will when he asked that the cup of suffering be taken away. In fact, he reaffirmed his desire to do God's will by saying, "Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." His prayer reveals to us his terrible suffering. His agony was worse than death because he paid for all sin by being separated from God. The sinless Son of God took my sins upon himself to save me from suffering and separation.

Jesus knew exactly what God the Father was asking of Him. And His response was, “Not as I will, but as You will.”

I should consider today what God is asking of me? Have I heard the voice of the Lord in my life and ignored it because I don’t want to give up a habit that consumes me? Am I taking pleasure in something that is contrary to the Word of God?

If God is telling me that His will is different than mine, it’s time to adjust my plans. It may be that God is trying to rid me of something that could be potentially fatal to me, or lead me down a path of destruction.

I can be certain that God is intent on sparing me of the pain of my own foolish choices or desires. So, am I following His lead? He gave His life so that mine could be filled with my heavenly Father’s great riches. He is already completely invested in me. What am I doing in return?