Thy Will Be Done

It’s important in the lives of those of us who wish to be a saint to align our wills to the will of the Heavenly Father. That is when true holiness is realized. It’s a willingness to let go of our own agenda, our own desires, our own plans, and do whatever the Lord asks of us.

It may seem demanding and yet this is where true freedom lies – freedom to do what is good, freedom to live out our lives in ways that are pleasing to our God. High expectations inspire us to choose the harder right over the easier wrong. Of course God’s expectations would be the highest of all.

And a leader, a true servant leader, doesn’t just ask tough tasks of us; He leads the way. Jesus never demands of us what He hasn’t done Himself. He’s “been there, done that,” as the old saying goes.

So as we are tempted to lament that submitting or surrendering to God’s will is hard, first remember the words of Jesus. When His followers ask Him to teach them how to pray, these words are part of that prayer:

“Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:10

And then, near the end of His earthly life, Jesus prays:

“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” – Luke 22:42

These two instances of Jesus showing us how to pray, teaching us what to say – every day or in our hour of greatest need – are included in Scripture so we will recall them at those most crucial times.

The deeper our love for our God, the easier it is to love others and the easier it is to bear the trials of life. The Lord’s love dwells within us and we yearn to give it away, just as Jesus did.

We can’t demand anything of God. He is the Author of Life, the Lord of all Creation. And so we ask God to align our wills with His. We say, “Not my will, but Yours be done,” and mean it. We must remember that God holds our hearts and loves us so, without reservation and without measure.

The more we do God’s will with an eager attitude and one of gratitude, the more joyful our life will be, the easier it becomes to surrender the next time. Look to Jesus, pray to Jesus, adore Jesus who, by His Holy Cross has redeemed the world.