My Will and Liberty?

“Let all my thoughts and feelings, my will and liberty, be totally directed to your honour and service.” This prayer caught my attention and I have been meditating on it for some time:

It all challenges me but when I first read it made me really think about the second pair: my will and my liberty.  How do I use my will and my liberty for God’s honour and service?

There is much in the New Testament about our will, and also Isaiah, prophetically speaking about Jesus, says “The will of the Lord will prosper in his hand”. (Is 53:10) In so far as I am made in the image of God and that my desire is to be conformed to his (Jesus’) image, I have often prayed that God’s will would prosper in my hand – that I would try to put my will to one side and allow his will, as well as I can discern it, to direct my decision making, plans and actions.

But my liberty? That is a different issue. How do I use my liberty for God’s honour and service?  I am acutely aware that I as an Australian citizen have liberty that many people in the world do not enjoy. I also have liberty in Christ, and I have some personal liberties that relate to education, career, family circumstances, and so on. I feel that I have a lot of personal choice over how I use this “asset”.

For me the question becomes ”Am I willing to surrender my liberty, or aspects of my liberty, for those who do not yet know God’s liberty?” I also wonder exactly what that might look like and must be content to let God show me the personal application, even if it stretches me!

Have you ever thought about how you use the liberty that is in your life for God’s glory? I want to challenge you to do so.

I pray that God will challenge us all about these 4 things: thoughts, feelings, will and liberty and how we can align them with his purposes and will.

Please pray for many people to be willing to surrender these things and become engaged in global mission as God leads them.