The will of the Lord be done

So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done." – Acts 21.14

They couldn't get Paul to change his mind. Nothing could dissuade him from what he what he knew had called him to do. He was ready to go to Jerusalem, even then he knew it meant at least arrest and possible death. He was dedicated to God's purpose for him.

So when the people were convinced that Paul was going they said the simple but profound statement. They stopped arguing and said 'The will of The Lord be done.'

There is a lot of debate among Bible scholars about whether or not it was indeed God's will for Paul to make this trip to Jerusalem. Some say that the other disciples were wrong for opposing it and some say that Paul was wrong or insisting on it. I am not going to wade in on that debate. The key here I think was the attitude of the disciples when they were able to say 'the will of the Lord be done.'

It is not always easy to determine God's will when we are discussing plans when Christians disagree about what we should do. Scripture doesn't always give us a clear guide as to what to do next. Sometimes we just have to pray for God's will to be done, decide what to do, and do it trusting God with the result.

But I think the key he is the attitude that the disciples had. It is and attitude that says 'we are willing to lay aside our opinions and seek what God wants us to do.

It is too easy to get stuck in our own wills. It is too easy to be convinced we are right. It is too easy to not see the other side. May we be willing to step aside at the moments and seek God's will instead of our own.