It can be very difficult for us to let go of our will and trust God with our lives and futures. We each have our own visions and dreams about the way we want our lives to turn out. So when God starts pulling us in one direction, it may be natural for us to resist him and pull ourselves the way that we want to go. I always think of a small child being dragged to the front door of their preschool, while they throw a tantrum and resist because they want to stay and play on the playground. I wonder if that’s how God thinks of us when we resist him. He knows what’s best for us. He knows the things he’s protecting us from, yet still, we resist him and try to go our own way.
Christ’s Example
There were even instances in Christ’s life that he wished he could do things his own way. He knew the pain that he would face on the cross. He knew that the Father would turn his face away (Matthew 27:46). But his attitude of “not as I will, but as you will.” is what prevailed as he continued on his journey to making the largest sacrifice in history (Matthew 26:39). And, as perfectly depicted in Richard Burchard’s The Seven Last Words of Christ, Jesus’ last words were “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” (Luke 23:46). Even though Christ endured so much pain, he still trusted the Father to take care of his spirit, and he knew that his sacrifice would be worth the pain. In The Seventh Word, Richard Burchard uses divine chords to express the spirit’s ascension into heaven, and the piece ends at a soft piano dynamic to imply peace.
God has promised to take care of us – no matter how much pain we might face in our lives. When we choose to commend our souls unto him, he blesses us in more ways that we can imagine. And no matter what we face, we do not have to do it alone. God promises that he will be with us, and he will carry us through the seemingly impossible trials that may come our way.
