Friday, October 17, 2025
Your Will Be Done… Matthew 6:10b
When praying the prayer Your will be done, do you believe that saying those words is all that is required of you? Following God’s will requires more than just saying a few words. Following God’s will requires obedience on our part. Discipline, effort, and accountability are all essential. Following God’s will doesn’t just happen naturally after we are saved. It is a choice we make. It is a decision to choose to obey. It is often a battle between choosing what we want and what we know is the right thing. His will always will be accomplished whether we choose to join in or not. He gave us both an invitation and the free will to choose what we will do.
The battle of the will is a battle we will be in for our whole lives. Pastor Jim told us Sunday that the human will is where stimuli (internal/external) is dissected through wisdom or folly, and chosen or not chosen, to be acted upon. The battle we will constantly fight is the battle of what we want versus what we need and choosing to be obedient to God’s will or not. Even when we know his will is far better for us than our own desires, we still fight it. Even when we are in the process of being formed to look like him, we still battle him.
This past Sunday Pastor Jim gave us four steps to help us transform our thoughts so that they will help us align our actions in obedience to the will of God for our lives.
Mind – This is where it all begins, and this is where is has to end if it not holy and God honoring. It might be an image or thought that pops into our minds. If it is not glorifying to God we take it captive immediately and stop the process. If we dwell on it, it can move on to permeate our desires, will, and actions. This is why it is so important to take every thought captive. We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4b-5
Desires – What are you longing for? If our desires do not honor God, they easily become idols. Our desires are the impulses or longings that flow from thoughts and are felt emotionally or intellectually. They act as the primary motivator for action, driving us to seek satisfaction or fulfillment – which means creating idols if we do not seek satisfaction or fulfillment from the Lord.
Will – Am I going to choose what I want or what I need. We make decisions based on our thoughts and desires. These decisions lead to action or inaction.
Actions - (Practice, Habits, Character) Pastor Jim said our actions change us for the better or worse. We can decide to live different. We can start acting in wisdom.
Following God’s will (or not) is always an obedience issue. As above, sometimes it is about what we want versus what we need. Sometimes it is about fear. Following God’s will requires discipline, effort, and accountability, but also requires faith. His will always aligns with his nature and his promises. When we know who God is and remember what he has done in our lives – how he has proven himself faithful time and time again. In those moments when we are so uncertain about everything and taking the next step feels like stepping on a thin sheet of ice covering a deep lake, our faith in what we know to be true about God helps us follow his will for our lives. We know we can trust a God who has proven his love and care for us, in the giving of his own son for our forgiveness and eternal life, and in every uncertain moment of our lives. He may not always resolve situations the way we want him to but we know we can trust him because he knows our tomorrows and wants the very best for us.
God is sovereign over all. Because we know and believe this, it should be easier for us to surrender and be obedient. to his commands. But we are human and do not relinquish control easily. We want to be in control of our own lives. When we do surrender and be obedient, we will be walking in his perfect will for our lives.
