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"Pray
then in this way: 'Our Father, who is in
heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come.
Your will be done, on earth as it is in
heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven
our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the
Kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.'" (Matthew 6.9-13)
Your Will Be
Done
Without doubt, our deepest
struggles and greatest joys come from the human will.
On
the one hand, we wrestle within when
we lack the willpower to do what we feel we could
or should -- consider our habits, hang-ups,
and addictions. We clash with others
when their will differs from our own -- consider you
marriage, family, or work-place.On the other hand,
we experience enormous delight if our will aligns
with someone else's. We love to experience
authentic agreement.
When we coerce or manipulate each
other, conflict abounds. When we submit
willingly,
unity prevails.
Nothing hurts us as deeply as feeling disempowered
or overpowered, and nothing breeds deeper resentment than to have
our will devalued or demeaned.
What I want, matters.
My
parents didn't teach me that. Nor did I learn it
in school. It's simply part of being made in the
glorious image of God. God created us with the
capacity to make decisions. He blessed us with a
will to exercise.
What shall I want?
With typical insight, the
Lord's Prayer addresses this cornerstone of our
lives. Jesus teaches His disciples to
choose the will of the Father.
He does not advocate fatalism or pessimism, as
though Christian belief crushes our choice. To the
contrary, Christ reminds us that faith -- defined
as trust and commitment
-- delights in the will of the
Father.
"Your will be done" springs from confidence
that God's will is both informed and ideal.
Interestingly, the prayer has no
qualifiers. "Your will be done in looking after
me, but my will be done in finding a marriage
partner, choosing a career, deciding about my
money, and planning my future." Jesus omits these
add-ons as He urges us to learn the art and joy of
willing surrender.
Your will be done. In other words, "We
want what You want, and we receive what You
give."
When we assert our own will,
with God or with each other, our
willfullness leads to pain and division.
When we submit our will to the Lord's, our
willingness
unexpectedly gives birth to life. Can faith be
faith without walking this pathway?
Our greatest grief
arises from a self-guarded will. Paradoxically, joy
comes with willing abandonment to our most
Beneficent Guardian. Who's in charge today?
Pray this way, "Your
will be done."
In HOPE -
David | 
