To love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength requires each of us to face the temptation of self-will — the desire to do what we want to do. Yet the journey of spiritual maturity often looks like this: we continue in our own way, stumbling, getting up and trying again, until what we truly want begins to change, and what we want is the Lord’s Heart — His Will alone.

Sometimes alignment with Him takes time. But if we are honest, the fruit of our own selfish way eventually teaches us. After tasting enough bad fruit, our hearts begin to hunger for the good fruit that only comes from Him being our sole source.

The Way of Jesus is light and easy. But what I insist on doing, my own way, always carries a price tag — one that ultimately costs more than I can afford.

So along the journey we discover something humbling: even our wandering and our slumbering becomes a teacher. The fruit of our choices produces a humility in us — a deeper hunger to be fully devoted to the nature of Jesus and His Will.

And when our will finally aligns with His, everything changes. The burden lifts; The fruit changes; Life begins to flow.

And little by little, we step into our eternal redeemed identity, yes, in our mortal bodies, allowing His Spirit liberty to work out of our lives. We become like Him, and love like Him. We cannot be thankful enough for the patience, Grace and mercy of our Lord! He is faithful!