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NOT MY WILL, BUT THINE BE DONE … NOT!
We are all impressed with Jesus' attitude in the Garden of Gethsemane. He prayed for God's
will to be done instead of His will. "...and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, ‘Father, if
Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless, not My will, but Thine, be done’" (Luke
22:41-42). As we continue to read the story, we see that Jesus did not renege on His prayer. He
carried out the Lord's will through the crucifixion and unto death.
Jesus towers as an example unto us. We, too, should pray, saying: "Not my will, but Thine be
done." After having said these words, we should also seek to bring them to fruition.
Some of us understand the need for such an attitude. We might even pray those very same
words, but often our will seems to take precedence.
1. I will not submit to the elders (Heb. 13:17).
2. I will not dress modestly (I Tim. 2:9, 10).
3. I will not cease gossiping about others (Lev. 19:16).
4. I will not honor our President (I Pet. 2:17).
5. I will not spread the gospel (Mark 16:15).
6. I will not clean up my speech (Eph. 4:29).
7. I will not be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).
8. I will not love my enemies (Matt. 5:44).
9. I will not seek the kingdom of God first (Matt. 6:33).
10. I will not bring my children up to know God (Eph. 6:4).
And this is a short list.
There are three ways individuals usually refuse to do the will of God:
1. They blatantly say: "I will not do it."
2. They are willfully defiant, but will not broadcast their defiance. Their actions, how
ever, show they are not willing to do God's will.
3. They are ignorantly negligent. They may "think" they are doing God's will, but they
are ignorant of what His will really is. Many of the things they do are still in
violation of God's will.
~Victor M. Eskew via Philip Sanders, Facebook, Dec. 7, 2019
