Part 7 Self-Will

Do I insist on doing it MY WAY?

I have a tendency to use that line from the song sung by Frank Sinatra (with a slight personal modification) which now says "I'll do it my way". In the Lord's prayer we say "Thy Kingdom come and thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven". It's a choice we have to make to submit our wills to him.

What word comes easiest to a child. NO! It pains me, if I see children rebelling against their parents. I see this in supermarkets, in car parks, everywhere.

We teach (sometimes force) our children to try to be the best, to beat the other children at all costs, to be top of the class. Get what you want, make yourself heard.

We even have people pay good money to have someone tell us to 'visualise yourself being successful', and unfortunately I see this type of mentality and teaching creeping into many churches. Especially the television evangelists. Now, I do admit there are some God anointed pastors preaching the word on television channels. People like Pastor Charles Stanley from Intouch Ministries comes to mind, but there are too many 'show business pastors', lovers of self image and not lovers of souls.

The 'name it and claim it' pastors, the type of pastors who say "Sow 1 dollar to get 100 dollars back" type pastors. Pastors who fleece the sheep rather than care for and shepherd their sheep. (I feel my blood start to boil ,and as I have high blood pressure it is not a good to have 'boiling blood', so I will stop there). Do they not realise that they will be judged more sternly for their sins?

God's will is not being fully done on this earth as YET. But a day is coming when it will all be put right. Until that day, may we follow the example of our Lord, when he daily submitted himself to the will of the Father. He said he did nothing on his own initiative, but only that which he saw the father doing, and heard the father saying (John 5:19,20,30). "Not my will but thy will be done" was the Lord's prayer. May it become ours.

Finally .......... a thought for to-day

When you grasp, you lose; when you give to God, you gain.