Not Ours, but His

Not Ours, but His

by David Brenneman 

From birth we are a people who want our will to be done.  We want what we want when we want it.  We don't look at nor appreciate consequences we just want our will to be done.

The path that Jesus put before the Disciples was anything but that.  The path taught to them, they were to teach others who've become son's and daughter's of God through salvation in Christ Jesus. 

Letting go of our will isn't that easy.  

Those 12 ordinary men that the Father chose to be the eventual Apostles were more than rough around the edges.  Impetuous, angry, bitter, prideful, greedy, every bit the sample of humanity.  

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor those habitually drunk, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and [h]in the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

"But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks." Ephesians 5:3-4.

The life of the Believer isn't to mirror the world.  

All in all...Satan's schemes are his best attempts at making it his will being done. 

He wants the Throne of God.  He wants to call the shots for all creation. Wants God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit to bow down to him.  He thinks he deserves it and that it's owed to him. 

You, by your sin nature, want the Throne of your heart.  You want to call the shots in your life. To get what you wanted when you wanted it.  You want others to respect your wishes regardless of what they want or think.  

To die to self means exactly what it means.  A dead body has no drive, no determination, no will that can or would be done. 

Taking up our own cross and following Jesus is actually painful.  Jesus's time on the cross Himself was entirely painful.  

In my life I have lived through and will endure painful times because of what the Spirit is doing in my life.  It's never about what He's TRYING to do in my life, it's what He IS doing in my life.  His will WILL be done...and the same thing applies to every single Believer. 

We are all going to have peaks and valleys to go through.  Are all going to learn how to let go of the things in life that are not going to grow us in Christ Jesus.  The Disciples were taught this, and this is what we're to do as well.

I am not my own, I was bought with a price, the shed blood of Jesus Christ. 

Say that to yourself and mean it.  

We have a purpose under Heaven to which we have been entrusted to comply with the Word of God for each of us. 

Regardless of how it is for you emotionally, is what you do, what you desire, honoring you or honoring your Savior?   As the meme goes...go ahead...take your time...I'll wait. 

His will will be done in you...you will either fight it or permit it.  

Paul taught the churches to put off the old self and it's practices.  Practices is the way that Paul conveyed the things that people were doing in their normal lives.  A practiced sin was a sin that people just did and considered nothing concerning the consequences thereof.  They weren't even fighting the temptation or the urge to make a stop in regards to the sin in question. 

Are you at all fighting against those thoughts, feelings, emotions that are not the will of God for you?  Are you crying out to God for His help?

In listening to Dr. Charles Stanley's Life Principles...it's a daily fight.  It's something we must choose to do.  To die to self isn't a natural thing for any of us. 

My life isn't my own.  Yours isn't either if we count our lives as being in Christ. 

I am a work in progress. My hope and prayer is that somehow I am not missing out on what the Spirit is trying to teach me.  That my repeating struggles in life aren't due to my inability to see what's being taught to me by Him.  And oh are there struggles.  It's not too difficult to see that He's been doing things to get me into moving in a different direction.  Understanding problems is what I do.  I am a troubleshooter.  Yet in the spiritual ways of my life I am certainly not doing this. Just as it is with you it is with me.  The struggle has a lot to do with who's will will be done. 

My ambition isn't there for the things that I used to be really interested in.  My desires are almost non-existent.  I know that the Spirit is doing exactly what He's to be doing in my life even if I don't know what is going on entirely or even in part.

It is indeed to be His will being done on Earth as it is in Heaven.  Sooner or later it is being done.  

Prayer opens our hearts if we let it be between us and Jesus as it ought to be.  

Sure I can talk to others about my situations in life but the one who knows is only going to be Jesus.  

Pray on, pray over, pray through. 

Letting go of self is not easy...but it's worth it.  We're never going to see the wonderful work of God in us, through us, until we do.