Is your Faith based on His Will or your will?

A woman living in the 17th century wrote this prayer: 

Lord, Thou knowest better than I know myself that I am growing older and will someday be old.  Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion. Release me from craving to straighten out everybody's affairs.

Make me thoughtful but not moody, helpful but not bossy.  With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all.  But Thou knowest Lord that I want a few friends at the end.

Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details.  Give me wings to get to the point. Seal my lips on my aches and pains.  They are increasing -- and the love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the time goes by.

I dare not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of other's pains, but help me to endure them with patience.  I dare not ask for improved memory but for a growing humility and a lessening of how sure I am when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others.

Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken.

Keep me reasonably sweet.  I do not want to be a saint -- some of them are so hard to live with.  But a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil.

Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places and talents in unexpected people.  And give me, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.

When we encounter the difficult times in life, THAT is when it is hard to ask for God’s will and not insert our desire only. Sharing our desire is important, because we need to be consciously aware of what we want, however, we express our faith when we entrust God with the decision.

I experience this and so do many I know. Intellectually it is a “no brainer” to understand that our all-loving God want’s what He knows to be best, but finite beings that we are…Here & Now is all we see! 

Jesus gave us the example: 

Luke 22:41–44 “And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”… And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.”

Matthew 26:38- 39 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death…he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 

We know the outcome of that prayer! God loves His creation – US – so much that His will was to sacrifice Himself so we could choose to live eternally with Him or with those that refuse a relationship with Him.

The So What: Do you want His Will or your way? How do you approach life, from an eternal perspective or a Temporal one? Which is more important in your life: what you have or what you are?