Jesus had the potential of doing so much, but He didn’t. He could have cured all the lepers, freed the Jews from Roman domination, stopped the hunger and suffering of the poor, but He didn’t.
His life consisted of Him simply doing the things the Father sent Him to do. He knew God’s will, He did God’s will, nothing more or less. Perhaps we need this type of discipline in our lives; to know the will of God and have single-minded devotion to doing it.
Most of us have plans, dreams, ideas and things that need to get done. But Jesus’ example shows us that regardless of what we want to do, the important thing to accomplish with our lives is God’s will. Our dreams and accomplishments can never replace His will and purpose.
Jesus could have done more but He invested His endless power and ability into, what seemed like, a futile act. All that talent wasted in a humiliating and avoidable death on a Roman cross. He could have done so much more but chose instead to do the Father’s will and in so doing saved mankind.
When we examine what we could be or would like to be doing, let’s pause to consider if we are actually doing God’s will rather than our own. Our life will count, even if we don’t do all we could have done, so long as we do what we should have done in obeying the Lord.
Discussion Questions
- In your opinion, what is the best way to know God’s will for your life on a daily basis? Explain.
- How do you know what isn’t God’s will? What are the signs that help you know that something or someone is not from God?
- What do you do when you have to make an important decision but have not been able to discern God’s will?