Day 2: Prioritizing God’s Will

Imagine the tragedy of waking up at the end of a self-centered and meaningless life. At the brink of death, you reflect on the minutes, days, and years of wasted time. You wonder how you allowed yourself to minimize important things by becoming a slave of routine.

Our years on this planet are brief. None of us wants to waste them. How do we ensure our lives “count?" We do so by regularly acknowledging God and His desires.

Following are three reasons for making God’s will our top priority.

1. We are His.

Because God created and redeemed us, He doubly owns us. We have a duty to fulfill His will because we are “His workmanship,” created for good works (Ephesians 2:10). We also owe our lives to Him as His children (1 John 3:1). Our daily goal should be to do the will of Him who has called us “out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

Jesus said His spiritual food was “to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work” (John 4:34). Our calling is similar.

2.His Will Is Always Best for Us.

When we prioritize His will above everything, we find the joy and satisfaction of a meaningful existence on earth. We also avoid the undesirable, sometimes devastating, results of pursuing our will and rejecting God’s will.

The initial pleasures of sin do not outlast the guilt, double binds, and disillusionment it yields.

God loves us and desires what is best for us. He is also all-knowing and knows what is best for us. Because God’s will is “good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2), it is in our best interest to affirm His desires even when they are contrary to ours.

3. Our Choices Affect Others.

It is in our interest to pursue God’s will, and it is also in the interest of others. We do not make choices in a vacuum. Our decisions affect others, sometimes in ways we don’t even realize.

God entrusts each of us with a unique sphere of influence. We are to be faithful ambassadors and agents of grace in ours.

Day 2 Scripture Readings:

Romans 12:1–2

1 Peter 2:9