"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." ~ Matthew 6:9-10
One of the hardest things for a person--even the typical believer--to do is lay aside his or her own will and let the Lord lead. Growing up we're encouraged to become self-reliant, and if we're fortunate enough to live in a land of freedom and opportunity, we learn to choose own goals and chart our own path to their accomplishment. We make our own decisions day-to-day, according to our own judgment of what will best advance our own purposes.
Did you notice the theme--"our own"? This may seem like a liberating way of life, especially for people who live in countries or cultures where people's basic decisions are made for them by state or other authorities. But there can be a misleading quality to this freedom: where the primacy of God in daily life is spurned or forgotten, we're essentially "on our own," seeing but "through a glass, darkly" (1 Corinthians 13:12), left (by our own choice), groping about in the murk of earthly life without the light and confidence that come from God's leadership. We're limited to our own ill-informed and fallible judgment about what's right and best for us, and we struggle to identify and manage the resources we think we'll need to realize our dimly-perceived objectives. We can't begin to see all the pitfalls and the opportunities that our Father in Heaven can see. As a result, we make innumerable mistakes and fly down blind alleys over and over again; we get frustrated and discouraged, or turn our own and other people's lives upside down pursuing vain goals with a single-minded vengeance. Too often, this leads to the ruin of families and lives.
The answer is to maintain an attitude of submissiveness and readiness to serve our Heavenly Father, and to seek Him constantly in prayer ("Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17). In all things, we must first strive to discern His will for us, and then do our best to follow it. When deciding on goals, long-term or shorter, we should ask the Lord in prayer what He wants for us, and whether particular goals we may have proposed for ourselves are consistent with His will for us. As we go along day-to-day, continue asking for His guidance and inspiration to see opportunities and hazards, and to receive those often-quiet promptings of the Spirit that, if faithfully heeded, enable us to make our way safely and productively along His chosen path. By doing this we'll always know that we're doing the best thing, in the best way, for ourselves and our families.
One of the hardest things for a person--even the typical believer--to do is lay aside his or her own will and let the Lord lead. Growing up we're encouraged to become self-reliant, and if we're fortunate enough to live in a land of freedom and opportunity, we learn to choose own goals and chart our own path to their accomplishment. We make our own decisions day-to-day, according to our own judgment of what will best advance our own purposes.Did you notice the theme--"our own"? This may seem like a liberating way of life, especially for people who live in countries or cultures where people's basic decisions are made for them by state or other authorities. But there can be a misleading quality to this freedom: where the primacy of God in daily life is spurned or forgotten, we're essentially "on our own," seeing but "through a glass, darkly" (1 Corinthians 13:12), left (by our own choice), groping about in the murk of earthly life without the light and confidence that come from God's leadership. We're limited to our own ill-informed and fallible judgment about what's right and best for us, and we struggle to identify and manage the resources we think we'll need to realize our dimly-perceived objectives. We can't begin to see all the pitfalls and the opportunities that our Father in Heaven can see. As a result, we make innumerable mistakes and fly down blind alleys over and over again; we get frustrated and discouraged, or turn our own and other people's lives upside down pursuing vain goals with a single-minded vengeance. Too often, this leads to the ruin of families and lives.
The answer is to maintain an attitude of submissiveness and readiness to serve our Heavenly Father, and to seek Him constantly in prayer ("Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17). In all things, we must first strive to discern His will for us, and then do our best to follow it. When deciding on goals, long-term or shorter, we should ask the Lord in prayer what He wants for us, and whether particular goals we may have proposed for ourselves are consistent with His will for us. As we go along day-to-day, continue asking for His guidance and inspiration to see opportunities and hazards, and to receive those often-quiet promptings of the Spirit that, if faithfully heeded, enable us to make our way safely and productively along His chosen path. By doing this we'll always know that we're doing the best thing, in the best way, for ourselves and our families.
This was the lesson taught in one of my favorite hymns, Lead, Kindly Light, written in 1833 by John Henry Newman (1801–1890). The hymn relates the experience of one who once was determined to pursue his own goals in his own way, who "loved to choose and see my path," who "loved the garish day," and whose will was ruled by pride. Now, the writer prays God to "Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see the distant scene; one step enough for me."
So, before you do make your next decision, big or small, go the the Lord in prayer and ask Him what HIS will is for your life. Accept His leadership in place of your own, and don't be afraid to follow it, even though you may not see in advance or understand every step along the path. Walk in faith with Him, trusting in His guidance, every day. Keep going, even through times of hardship and doubt. With the Lord of the Universe showing the way, you can't go wrong!Lead, kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom, lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home; lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.
I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!
So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on.
O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till the night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
which I Have loved long since, and lost awhile!
Meantime, along the narrow rugged path, Thyself hast trod,
Lead, Savior, lead me home in childlike faith, home to my God.
To rest forever after earthly strife
In the calm light of everlasting life.
Tom Fleming
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