The Lord’s Prayer - "Your will be done" (23 May 2021)

We had viewed episode 2 of The Chosen Season 2 on Saturday night and while we were contemplating the meaning of "Your will be done" during our family time on Sunday, it suddenly struck me that allowing God's will to be done in our lives would mean giving up our own plans and following His plans. [spoiler alert] That was exactly what Nathaniel went through as he sat under the fig tree watching his architectural plans for the temple he had wanted to build go up in flames, literally! And how he sobbed, and rent his clothes, and sprinkled ashes on his head...[end of spoiler] the grief is real. 

But all that was nothing compared to what Jesus must have experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was in such agony when He said, "Not my will but Yours be done," that his sweat was like blood (Luke 22:42, 44). [spoiler alert] That's why in episode 5 of The Chosen Season 2, while pondering the heaviness of what they are called to do, Jesus says to John the Baptiser, "I'm always ready to do my Father's will, but that doesn't make it easy." [end of spoiler] So He understands when we find it hard to surrender our own will and yield to His will... the struggle is real.

God doesn't force us to submit for He has given us free will to choose. But when we willingly choose to lay our own desires down to take up His desire for us out of a heart of worship and love for Him, that pleases Him tremendously. Yet, we often start to look at the world around us and wonder why we should abandon the achievements and successes that others enjoy. Surely God has promised us an abundant life (John 10:10), so how could He be asking us to give all that up? And so... the sacrifice is real.

So what can help us to be confident that we are making the right decision when we follow God's will rather than our own? God is not bound by time, instead He sees the beginning and the end (Isaiah 46:10). In fact, He is the beginning and the end (Revelation 22:13). Hence, when He reveals His will to us, that is Him letting us in on the good that is going to come out of it, for His plans are never to harm us but to prosper us (Jeremiah 29:11). Because He is a loving and faithful Father, we can trust Him to make all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28) when we do His will... the promise is real.

We also need to redefine what 'success' means according to how God sees it. He does not measure our achievements in the same way the world does. When He calls us to do His work, we can be assured that it would bring about something of eternal value, even if it can't be seen by our physical eyes. If we are willing to forsake the things of the world to build His Kingdom here on earth, we not only leave behind a spiritual legacy, our works would also survive the fire when we meet Him on that day (1 Corinthians 3:13-14)... the reward is real.

Finally and most importantly, God yearns for us to do His will because then we would be partnering with Him. That means, we would be working alongside Him and spending time with Him. That is God’s desire, to be with us.  [spoiler alert] Again, in episode 5 of The Chosen Season 2, when Simon the Zealot asked Jesus why He would want him to join His team when he had nothing to offer, Jesus replied, "I have everything I need. I wanted you." [end of spoiler] And of course, when we get to walk with our Father daily, listening to His voice, wrapped in His embrace, watched over by Him, in perfect communion with Him... the joy is real!

Check out other insights we received about The Lord's Prayer:

• Our Father
• in heaven
• hallowed be Your Name
• Your Kingdom come
• on earth as it is in heaven
• Give us this day our daily bread