Easier said than done!

There is an idiom that is often used: “It’s easier said than done.” There are as many examples of this and here are a few:

• “I really should quit smoking, but it’s easier said than done.”
• “I need to put the past behind me, but it’s easier said than done.”
• “Finding a good job is easier said than done.”
• “My doctor said I should lose weight, but that’s easier said than done.”

In thinking in the spiritual realm, I think many things are easier said than done. Things like witnessing, having a quiet time, faithful church attendance, tithing, etc… are easy to express a resolve to start doing these but it is so much harder to actual do what we are committing to.

I started thinking about this topic after I heard a song by Hillary Scott, one of the trio known as Lady Antebellum. The song is entitled “Thy Will” and repeatedly says “Thy will be done.” As I listened to this song a few times I thought about how “Thy will be done” is such an easy thing to say; we can often say it flippantly without giving it much thought. But what if God’s will involves battling cancer, losing a loved one, or any other number of life issues that are hard? It’s one thing to say “Thy will be done” if we are praying about taking a new job or buying a new car. But when it involves the heart cries of life it is so much harder to mean it wholeheartedly when we say it. 

Is it ‘wrong’ as a Christian to find difficulty in saying “Thy will be done”? Think back to the Garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26. Three separate occasions we find the Lord Jesus praying to the Father about if it is possible to let the “cup” of the cross pass from Him, yet each time He concludes with “nevertheless not My will but Thy will be done.” I don’t think it is ever wrong to openly and honestly express our heart to the Lord; He knows it already anyway.

So, what might make praying “Thy will be done” a little easier?

1. Know that the Father loves us. In times of difficulty the devil will try and get us to question whether or not God loves us. It takes one look at the cross to know not only that He loves us but also how much He loves us.
2. The Father only wants for us what we would want for ourselves if we were smart enough to ask for it. God sees the entire much picture of our life whereas we live in the moment. If we can acknowledge that God knows infinitely more about our situation than we do, praying “Thy will be done” becomes much easier.
3. Understand it’s not wrong to ask of God even if we sense His will might be something different. We are told in the Sermon on the Mount to “ask”.

So what’s going on in your life right now? Here’s my prayer for today: “God You know life is hard. There are many things happening that I would do differently but I want You to know I trust You. You know the desires of my heart. Nevertheless, not my will but Thy will be done!”