Many of the commands that Jesus gave are contrary to my natural inclinations. At first I would try to rationalize and justify my thoughts to accommodate my rebellious attitude. My resistance to living my life God’s way repeatedly put me in conflict with Him. Invariably my desire to follow Jesus and my tendency to gratify my carnal nature made me duplicitous and the inner conflict robbed me of His peace and joy. The only remedy I found, that worked for me, was when I began to live in surrender to the Lord. I began to practice putting the commands of Jesus into action, even though they were difficult. The discipline of staying on track, even when I temporarily derailed, eventually made my life simpler and I began to experience a greater abundance of peace and joy. I pray for His light to expose those hidden areas of my heart where I continue to ignorantly resist living my life in harmony with Him.
"Elijah went before the people and said, 'How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.'"
1 Kings 18:21
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do."
James 1:5-8