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PROGRAM D-7904
Do you have any “will-nots” in your life? Of all the “knots” in our lives that we seek to be set free from, we have the “have-nots”, the “can-nots”, the “do-nots”—and the “will-nots.”
I’m sure you’re well aware that you did not have to teach your children to be selfish. They come that way! Have you noticed that even as infants, they behave as though the whole world revolves around them and everyone in their life is there to cater to their desires? Sadly, we don’t change much as we grow older; we’re just not quite as vocal about it!
We do what we set our wills to do; conversely, we don’t do what we set our wills not to do. So, when I set my will not to do God’s will but to do my own will, then I’ve set myself on a path to pain and heartache. And yes, even people who are truly born of the Spirit of God can decide that they will not obey God. I know, because I’ve been there.
For many years, I set my will to go after what I thought I needed in order to be happy. It was all about me! Many times through those years, I demonstrated through my lifestyle and the choices I made that I would not do God’s will. I didn’t actually utter those words—and probably would have denied them if I had been confronted—but there was no doubt that I had a bundle of “will-nots” in my heart, and I intended to run my life by my will, not by God’s.
Are you in that place now? Could it be that you’ve set your will to do what you want, and you simply will not obey God? That is one of the most miserable places to be! Refusing to obey God is a surefire way to really mess up your life. God’s plans for you are good; they are far better than your plans. He knows the best way for you to go, but as long as you will not listen to his voice, you will forfeit the good path he has for you.
Jeremiah 6:16 says, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”
If there is any “will-not” in your life today, I pray you will immediately confess and forsake it. Walk in the ancient paths, in the good way, where you will find rest for your soul.