When I think about battling of wills, I think of the struggles of dealing with a strong willed child. Every mother has faced those times of willful, stubborn objection. I remember being on a hike with then three year old Ben. The whole family had set out to explore one of the short trails at Glen Erie in Colorado. We came to a certain point and he just stood there and refused to walk one step further. It wasn't that he was worn out, he showed no signs of
physical distress, we were walking slowly. It was that he didn't think this was his idea of fun. He didn't like it, he didn't want to be there, and there was no way we could make him. He stomped his two little fit into the sand and there he made his protest against our family outing. Brian and Rachel walked on enjoying the experience. Ben and I stood there on the path in a face off of sorts. He didn't want to be carried, he didn't want to be encouraged, he
simply didn't want to be there. He refused to join in. As I stood on the path looking straight into his eyes, I saw myself. How many times have I done the same with God?

God invites me on a wonderful adventure with Him. At first I agree, trusting that it will be something I enjoy. But, when it gets monotonous, when everything isn't going my way, when I even feel a little uncomfortable; I want to go back. It's not really fun, I think, unless I am in charge. When it's not what I expected, I want to just stop.

The funny thing about the incident on the path with Ben was he didn't really know what he wanted. He didn't want to go back, he didn't want to go forward, he didn't want to do anything, except protest against such a trip in the first place. So, I just sat down with him. We sat on the path. He wouldn't let me carry him back home, we just sat. When Rachel and Brian joined us, the four of us went home.

How often do I give up, refuse to go forward, not let God carry me, just give up and insist on being in charge, pouting until I can have it my way? God is not a God who surrenders to our will. He responds to our prayers, our pleas; but He doesn't enter into relationship with you so
that you can tell Him what to do in your life. As long as that is what you are expecting from a relationship with God, you'll never know Him.

There needs to be a point of surrender, where you yield yourself completely to His will. You must keep asking for His will over and over on your journey. This will not come naturally to you.

Jesus modeled this for us so beautifully. In John 5:19 He told us, I tell you the truth the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees the Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. What would you do each day if your will was so totally surrendered to God? Oswald Chambers wrote, The joy of the Lord Jesus Christ lay in doing exactly what He came to do. He did not come to save men first of all, He came to do His Father's will.

What's going on with the battle of your will? Are you convinced that God's will is better than yours? Are you living surrendered to God's will? Pray today as Jesus taught us to pray; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)