You can choose to surrender to God’s will on your own, or he can create circumstances to force the issue.

Humility can be developed voluntarily, or God can knock you down and break your pride. Serving can be a joy and pleasure, or God can put you in a position where there is no other option. Things of real value can be seen through daily reflection, or God can take everything away, making you see life differently. Obedience can come through submission or punishment.

I am not saying that God will force any ideal or attitude upon you. I am confident that he can change your circumstance in an effort to open your eyes.

Reading the Old Testament, I see God bless Israel, then make life more complicated, then send prophets to warn them, then take them into captivity, then promise them a future and finally bring them back. All that action was God trying to teach his people to follow his will.

There are two ways to live in faith. One is the easier way that requires us to surrender our will daily. The other is to have God force our lives into some painful circumstances to open our eyes and possibly change our wills.

Which path will you choose?