Introduction
My Will vs. His Will
There is a struggle that almost every Christian eventually faces.
It is the struggle between what we want and what God wants.
We make plans.
We dream about the future.
We pray for certain doors to open.
We hope relationships will work.
We want healing, success, security, peace, answers, and opportunities.
Then sometimes life moves in a completely different direction.
A door closes.
A prayer seems unanswered.
A relationship changes.
A plan falls apart.
Something takes much longer than expected.
And suddenly we begin asking questions.
"God, why?"
"Why did You allow this?"
"Why did You not answer the way I prayed?"
"Why do I have to wait?"
"Why did You close that door?"
"Why can I not understand what You are doing?"
Those are real questions.
This book does not pretend they are always easy to answer.
Instead, it is about learning how to trust God even when we do not have every answer.
The central verse for this book comes from one of the most powerful moments in Scripture.
Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane before His crucifixion.
He knew the suffering that was coming.
Luke 22:42 records His prayer:
"Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."
Those words contain both honesty and surrender.
Jesus expressed what He desired.
But He also submitted Himself to the Father.
That is the heart of this book.
God does not require us to pretend we have no desires.
He does not tell us that we cannot ask.
He does not tell us to hide our disappointment.
We can pray honestly.
We can ask boldly.
We can tell Him what we want.
But faith eventually brings us to these words:
"Not my will, but Thine."
That can be difficult.
We naturally prefer our own plans.
We like control.
We like knowing what will happen.
We like answers.
We like certainty.
But Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us:
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
Notice that Scripture tells us to trust before we understand everything.
That is often where the struggle begins.
We may trust God when we agree with Him.
But can we trust Him when the answer is no?
Can we trust Him when the answer is wait?
Can we trust Him when His direction is different from ours?
Can we trust Him when life does not make sense?
That is a deeper faith.