Webpage for Daniel Rivera: High School teacher and Data Analysis student.
Written on August 28, 2021
Throughout the bible, we are called to submit to his will countless times. What has to give to allow God's will to overcome our life? How did other biblical figures apply these concepts? How can I follow God's will?This article is for the Christians who want to take their relationship with the Father to the next level. There are many times when our desires, thinking, and intentions collide with God's holiness. This can cause a disconnect with us and the Holy Spirit, when we are supposed to grow more like Christ and be on good terms with the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18). The goal is to become more like Christ, while we let go of more of ourselves. Some might call this spiritual maturity, submission to his will, or having a spirit-led life. If we are to please God and worship in spirit and in truth, we are to put our sinful nature and desires to death.
Our first step is to acknowledge that our Father's ways are greater than our ways. The verse above perfectly encapsulates this idea, and we must humble ourselves before his thoughts. This is the ultimate goal of repentence, to establish our actions as wrong and to turn to the Father and his ways. We cannot grow in the spirit while being luke-warm, so we must trust that his ways are higher than our ways. In my case, it has helped to analyze why God's way is better. Our pride and stubbornness may blind us from the truth that the Holy Spirit might reveal to us, and analyzing why I am wrong is helpful to change my actions. Pray that the Holy Spirit speaks to any actions we must change, and giving us the mentality to fully repent. 2nd Corinthians 6:16 states that "we are a temple of the living God", and we should live to please him.
Originally, I intended for this post to be about the "Mind of Christ" but I could not find the right words to quantify our savior's mind (it will be further explored in another post soon). Apostle Paul states that we have the "Mind of Christ" in 1 Corinthians 2:16. How can we think like Christ? Romans 15:3 states that Jesus did not seek satisfaction, but he actively sought out his Father's will. Hebrews 4:15 revealed that Jesus faced everything that we faced, and did not sin. This was due to his close communication to the Father (as shown in Luke 22:42).
After we are accept the Lord's ways, we are at a crossroads. It is not enought to believe that his ways are greater, but we must put it into action. James 2:26 states that "faith is dead without good works". Psalm 37:23 shows that the steps of a righteous man are "directed and established by the Lord". It is an hourly need for our Father's instruction (mostly spoken through the Bible), that allows us to conquer the flesh and make room for the spirit.
What can we give up to get closer to the Lord? Sin is the most obvious answer. Paul Washer states that one "hasn't reached the first wrung of being a mature Christian" if you are not pure of sexual immorrality. There are plenty of other sins, and they are listed in the Bible. But sexual immorrality is a sin against the body (1 Corinthians 6:18). There are plenty of reasons to avoid sexual immorrality, thus avoiding the curse that comes along with it. Pray that the Holy Spirit guides us from sin that will trip us up during our race.
I guarantee that if you consume less worldly media (social media, movies and television, secular music, etc.), you will be more open to the things that God values. We are not called to "love the things of this world" (1 John 2:15-17). The verse is not talking about forbidding all things of the world, but to value the Lord over the things of this world. It is undeniable that the modern world is not a good example to live by, and secular media directly or indirectly glorifies and elevates evil thoughts to the masses. Spiritual ambiguity is rarely present in the media, so it is fairly easy to determine what should and should not be avoided from a spiritual perspective. If a social media site entices you into certain thoughts, run from the temptation (as stated in 2 Timothy 2:22-24 ). Matthew 8:35-37 tells us that there is no benefit in "gaining the whole world" (enjoying unwholesome media, gaining favor from unbelievers by living by their cultural idols, living to please the flesh) while "losing your soul" (losing your standing the God and his ways). Make sure to think twice before we open our eyes to the evils of the media.
When we face these challenges, we must remember that is better to please the Lord than pleasing ourselves. No matter the consequences, we must fight the battle against our flesh and spiritual opposition from the enemy to achieve the will of God. We must first crucify our fleshly desires before having a true relationship with our heavenly Father. If you have any issues or ongoing struggles, speak to the Lord first. During our battle against worldly desires, speak to other Christians to help you in our battles. Some people you should speak to are your spiritual authorities (pastors), family members, church members, or Christian friends. We need an answer based on the Bible, so seek his word when you are in need. You can always send me an email, and we could talk about your experiences. Know that the battle belongs to the Lord. To him the glory in all of our circumstances, forever and ever.