God’s Highest Willingness

“Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance.  It is laying hold of his highest willingness.”  Archbishop Trench

I find this quote extremely helpful.  My prayers are often based on an unspoken assumption that God must be convinced to answer.  He is not reluctant to answer our prayers.  I know that.  Maybe I am not praying for his highest willingness.

That leads me to ask what God’s highest willingness is for my life.  Am I living it?  Have I missed it?  My guess is that I’m somewhere in between.

What is God’s highest willingness for your life?

Jesus, at whose name every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth (Phil. 2:10) is our model for God’s highest willingness. No one will have a higher place than Jesus.  He has all authority in heaven and on earth.

So how did Jesus live his life?  He lived on the earth for 30 years of “normal” life, followed by his ministry which was a few years of healings, deliverances and miracles of all kinds descending to a lonely, humiliating and painful death.  I’m sure he enjoyed moments and had good times.  I’m sure he loved his family and friends, but he was not living life for his own benefit.  Not even close.

He came to the earth with one purpose: to the save world.  Only Jesus, the Son of God, could do that.

God’s highest willingness for our lives gets confused with worldly wealth, status and fame.  Jesus did not invest any energy in stuff.  Not a thing.  He didn’t even have a place to lay his head.  In our materialistic culture it’s tough to filter out our desire for the things the world values.  God is generous, gracious, and loves to give his children good gifts.  That is true, but is that his highest willingness? 

I suspect that God’s highest willingness is for each one of us to follow Jesus, no matter what he asks of us.  It will look different for each of us.

A life of following Jesus is one that serves others before oneself.  It’s a life that gives without fear of what tomorrow will bring.  It is a life without worry, for our Father knows what we need.

That’s how Jesus lived.  If only we could do the same.

What is God’s highest willingness for your life?

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 5:3-10