But If Not

You know how I told y'all that I am always changing my favorite song? Well....I recently listened to a new cd from Commonwealth Baptist College and I now have a new favorite song. The moment I listened to it, the Lord convicted my heart and I knew I had to share it with y'all. ;) I love every word of this song, but what I really want you to pay attention to is the second verse.

Verse 1: 

The God who spoke the world into existence,

    And holds it in his place with His strong hand. 

    Can meet my need without the least assistance. 

    No miracle to great could I demand. 

And as I come in prayer unto the King of Kings. 

And humbly bow before His holy throne. 

I know that my petition I can boldy bring

And that He delights to give unto His own. 

Chorus:

But if not, will I choose to love Him anyways? 

But if not, will He still be worthy of my praise?

His great glory I'll proclaim, if He delivers from the flame.

But will I serve Him just the same, if not?

Verse 2:

I say, "Oh Lord, I trust in you with all my heart."

And I pray, "Oh, Father, let Thy will be done."

But what if His will is not to grant my heart's desire,

In order to bring glory to His Son?

Will I still delight to do my Savior's bidding

If on my behalf He does not intercede?

I know that I will praise Him if He answers

And when His hand of blessing can be seen.

Chorus:

But if not, will I choose to love Him anyways?

But if not, will He still be worthy of my praise?

His great glory I'll proclaim, if He delivers from the flame. 

But will I serve Him just the same, if not?

I know His grace will always be sufficient, 

I know His strength my weakness will perfect. 

I'll trust when it's beyond my comprehension. 

That my needs He will supply and my paths He will direct

Chorus: 

But if not, I will choose to love Him anyways.

But if not, He will still be worthy of my praise. 

His great glory I'll proclaim if He delivers from the flame.

But I will serve Him just the same, if not.

Wow...even now as I read through it again, my heart is convicted! 

The second verse of the song talks about how one might say, "Oh, Lord, I want your will in my life!" and how they might even pray for His will to be done in every area.  But......what if His will doesn't match up to their desires? What will their attitude and prayer be then? 

There are many times, just like any other 20-year-old girl, that I find myself dreaming about the future. Often, I think about the next 5 years of my life and all that I "want" to happen. 

 I want to get married. 

I want to work along-side my husband in the ministry. 

I want to finish college and be a teacher. 

I want to have kids. 

I could name so many more things that I want for my life...but then that song comes to mind. What if that isn't what the Lord wants for me? What if He wants me to serve Him in a different way than what I am expecting? Will I still choose to love and serve Him? (convicting, right?!) As you might have noticed.....one of my biggest "wants" is to get married and raise a family. But what if it isn't the Lord's will for that to happen? Will I still choose to be happy and to praise Him?  

Don't get me wrong...all of the things I mentioned that I want might be good things. But! If it isn't the Lord's will, then it's not what's best. Just because it looks good, doesn't mean it's what's best for your life.

After hearing this song and pondering the words and truth behind it, I realized that I needed to stop and surrender my wants to the Lord. I prayed and told God that no matter what His will is for me, whether to be single, to be married, to have kids, etc. I will still serve Him. I will still love Him. I will still praise Him. 

What about you? I'm sure every one of you has a want in your life. You might even be praying for the Lord to grant this desire. But what if He says, "No."? How will your attitude be? Will you still love, serve, and praise Him? I hope so! Because, as I said earlier, there is nothing greater than being in the very center of God's will. Even if you might want something completely different, you'll find that when you follow God's plan for your life, you will be happier than you ever thought possible. 

Thanks for reading!!