God's Will, No Fear

Matthew 6:10 is our focus today.

Thy kingdom come.

Can the world get any crazier?

Most of us would answer “Yes,” but we hope that it won’t. I could write lengthy epistles on what is wrong and how to make it right—according to JoAnna, of course.

Some days I have no idea how to find peace when my instincts scream for a rampage. At this point, I’ve learned to tap the breaks and admit that I’m way off the marker. Life, our very existence, is about living in God’s will not our own. His kingdom will come. He will make right the wrongs of our world. He will restore order and peace. During the interim, we are asked to worship Him, commune with Him, and serve our neighbors as ourselves. This is a tall order when the alcoholic/addict wants to run the show, but peace will prevail just as the kingdom will come if we let it.

Thy will be done, in earth,

This is the hard part. Consider these ancient words—

…Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.       —Hebrews 12:1-2

In these verses, we see a surrender of our will for whatever is set before us. Jesus is the ultimate example. He came and completed the Father’s will, and left us with a gentle message:

Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. —Luke 12:32

How I love the tenderness in that verse! And yet, surrendering our will can often be the hardest thing we're asked to do.

I’ve made no bones about it; life has been pretty tough for me over the last year. I don’t want to participate in the sensible and uncomfortable things required of me. I want the life I had before this fork in the road. Recovery has taught me to pause when my thinkin' is stinkin'. Breathe, girl, just breathe.

This “race set before me” might not be easy or desired, but the evidence of my recovery has proven that by sticking with my Higher Power's will I'll be brought into a refined version of myself. And yet I wail and struggle not to resort to a Lil ‘miss hot-mess-express that I once was. After the pause, I need to pray. Just pray.

So, my big 2025 quest is prayer. Lots and lots of prayer. Not just the act of prayer but studying it, learning all I can about it. One of my besties sent me a crocheted prayer shawl, a total surprise, some months ago. It brings me comfort while displaced from home during the week. The series at church right now is, “When God’s People Pray.” Fitting. Everywhere I seem to look a God-wink is waiting. Just today I happened on a scripture that feels like the mantra of this new quest:

Therefore, I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.  —Micah 7:7.

Once again, God proves He’s in the details.

...as it is in Heaven.

Our God is sovereign. His will reigns in His kingdom.

A big piece of my recovery from addiction and in learning to submit my will to God is trust. Trust was like a foul word before I found myself working steps and listening to a sponsor. Life taught me not to put any stock in people, institutions, or even myself. Since my first surrender in the rooms of recovery, God has been leading me to trust in Him, one little moment at a time. When I consider what His kingdom will be like, I’m reminded of the Psalms.

Healing. Hope. Peace. These are but a few of the bounties that come from trusting God and surrendering to His will, we can only trust and imagine how His kingdom will be better.

Let’s shut our eyes and reflect on the bounty life offers before we leave our fire ring and head back out into the world. Next week, we’ll look at the following verse in this beautiful prayer—Give us this day our daily bread.

Until then, know my thoughts and prayers are with you.

From the Fire Ring Blog. Volume 4, No.1