Nevertheless

You know you’ve grown in the Lord when you have a nevertheless experience. Wow, there’s so much I want to say in this entry, but in order to get it all out in the allotted time I have (its Monday morning and my to-do list is astounding) I have to choose what I say wisely. So please bear with me.

Over the last few months I’ve been having my nevertheless experience. I can now officially say that I know what it means to surrender my will to God’s will. But with that comes suffering. That is, for Christ. I think we, the church, have gotten it all twisted. I’ve said this time and time again in these entries that we have bought into the false teaching that being a Christian equals success. Like success is the ultimate goal of walking with Christ. You know what baffles me……there are many successful and happy non-believers. If that is so……what separates believers aim for success from non-believers. NOTHING. Because success is not the purpose of us being here on this earth. Success is only a mere benefit to walking with God. It plays a very small part in God’s purpose for our lives.

Just recently I realized that in order for me to be one with the Father, walk in His divine purpose, and have total fulfillment on earth, I have to submit my will to His will. Ok, ok…..yes I, and many others, have said it over and over that we submit ourselves to the will of God. And I’d liked to believe that. But it is a difference in saying it and really living and believing it. I’m just realizing how powerful submitting my will to God’s will is. It’s not an easy prayer to pray. In fact, it is very difficult. It is literally giving your life over to God’s control. How many church folk can say we really do that? I have come to the point where I don’t even pray for specific things in my life because if I am praying for God’s perfect will, but too praying for something that could be potentially against God’s will then one will cancel out. And because God will not go against our will then more than likely my will will win……and I’ll end up losing. You know how that goes.

I’m at the point where I don’t pray for things, that is….material things. Ok, I never really prayed for material things. That’s shallow praying to me. But I don’t pray for specifics like…… “Lord please bless me with money so that I can take the trip to Bermuda with my girlfriends because you know I need a vacation.” Nope; no longer pray that way. I’m understanding more and more that my life is not my life and that every step has to be ordered by the Lord. I seek His will in everything.

I was giving my sister an example of praying God’s will the other day. And was telling her how easy we can mess up God’s perfect will by praying something that seems real innocent or against His will. She’s going through some physical challenges in which require therapy. She hates being at the rehabilitation center; very understandable. But I told her that instead of praying that the Lord will release her from the rehabilitation center, just simply pray that “Lord have your perfect will in me.” As I went on to tell her that while in that center she could meet the doctor who could end up being her husband. Or she could come across a patient that needs her encouragement to live. Or anything. The Lord can use her to be a blessing to somebody or for somebody to be a blessing to her. And running up out of there could potentially allow her to miss a major piece of God’s plan.

Ok, can we talk about the will of God for a moment? Thanks. Ok, there are certain things we know from reading the word that is God’s will for our lives. Abundant life is one. Joy and peace are others. Healing is another. There’s really no need to pray for healing because His word tells us that we are healed. We just need to walk in it. So if we are sick we just need to continue to pray that God’s perfect will be done, and proceed according to the word. Period.

Marriage is another part of God’s will. I hear it time and time again….. “maybe God wants me to be single.” I firmly believe that if there is a desire to be married then God will bring it to pass. When marriage doesn’t come to someone who desires to be married, and I’m talking about a marriage that was ordained by God, then it is a great possibility that they can be walking out of the will of God. Ok, let me rephrase that. I’m not saying that single Christian women are out of the will of God and that’s why they are not married. No I’m not saying that at all. Waiting on God to deliver is a part of God’s will. Patience is a part of God’s will. With everything that is fearfully and wonderfully made, there is a process.

Which brings me to another point. When submitting to the will of God it will cost you something. Ok, ok……I know that Jesus paid the price. But He actually paid the price for our sins, not our suffering here on earth. To really walk in the fullness of God you will have to give up a great part of self. And its usually the part that we’ve built up and held onto for so long. Like my…….. “must be married by 40 to a perfect man” list. That was my plan and my will, but since making that list, I have surrendered and submitted my mind, body, and soul to the Lord. So God’s will doesn’t always bring a loddy doddy life.

It cracks me up how folk want the blessings and benefits of God, but they don’t want to do things God’s way. Things are fine when you’re standing up in front of a crowd delivering a deep message and folk are hollering back with encouragement, or writing in a blog about your Christian experience and getting great feedback. But let it come down to lonely nights where the Lord is saying “I’ve blocked that good man from you because you have submitted to my will and my will says that he’s not willing to submit to the plans I have for you.” Or, “my will is that you fast for 30 days even though it’s your birthday week and you want to celebrate with a nice big birthday cake with your loved ones.” Walking in God’s will is not always easy.

I luuuuv the part in the word that talks about Jesus having doubts about the cross. Everything was fine and dandy until he realized that He was really going to die. I can hear him say……. “ok, now hold-up God I love you and I believe that you can do anything even stop this death from happening. So is there any other way that this can be done?????” But just as He was saying that, he came back with a nevertheless…….. Reading and understanding this example of all examples is when I knew that there is nothing on this earth that I want so bad that I would forfeit God’s perfect plan for me.

Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. –Luke 22:42