Are You Willing?

I find the Christian walk to be very interesting. As humans we “try hard” to accomplish our goals. This seems to hold true with our walk with God. We “work hard” at doing all the right things, saying all the right things and acting out what we understand our Christian walk to be.

The thing I have come to realize is God does not ask us to “work hard” at Christianity, He only asks us to be “willing”. So I challenge you to ask yourself, “Are you willing?” It is a question I have come to ask myself often and, interestingly enough, I find it to be a great source of peace.

If I believe God’s plan is all that matters and He has called me to be His bond servant, then shouldn’t I be willing to do, say or go wherever He wishes to complete His plan? In theory I think we would all say yes, but when “the rubber meets the road” why do we waver? We begin finding reasons why “this can’t be what God wants me to do” or like Moses, “but Lord I am slow of tongue” (as if God didn’t already know that). He just asked Moses to be willing, and then He supplied Aaron.

I remember hearing Chuck Swindoll talk about his calling to be a pastor. He said in his prayer to God, “I am willing to pastor anywhere…except California”. He wasn’t “willing” to go to California. Guess where God sent him…California. God had a different plan.

The truth is we just simply need to be willing. God will supply what we need to accomplish His will. James 4:12-14 talks about people make statements about what they will be doing in the next year. But then James 4:15 says, “What we should say is this: If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.”

If we “drive the bus” we get what we can accomplish. However if the Lord “drives the bus” we get to live the promised “abundant life”. Which would you prefer? Silly question, and yet we find ourselves struggling to be willing.

Abraham received a shocking message from God. However he figured God had a plan and he must follow directions. When he took Isaac to the mountain he was very sad. When he was shown the ram in the bush he had a faith building experience. When he came back from the mountain he had an amazing “God story” to tell people; including us thousands of years later.

The Christian life isn’t about God pleasing you. It is about you pleasing God. Are you willing? The next time you come to a “fork-in-the-road” decision will you be “willing” to take path God opens or will you beg God (calling it pray) to have your own way. Be honest with yourself. God can see the consequences, you can’t. If He closes a door will you try to “pry it open” with your own strength and abilities? If you do you will not find the “abundant life” that was through the other door.

Do you have a decision facing you now? Are there choices that you really want and choices that you are set against? Are you willing to take the path you don’t want if God opens that door? Are you willing?