The ‘W Rule’ of Lordship

When it comes to shaving, I have a ‘W Rule’.  If there is no Worship, no Working in the office, no Wake, or no Wedding, then there is no Way I’m shaving.  I often wake up and think through my day and if none of those things are happening, I am more than happy to avoid the potential perils and pains of shaving.

A possible ‘W Rule’ for asking God to be Lord of every aspect of our lives could focus on these 4 W’s:

·      Will…it’s been said a number of ways that if God doesn’t have all of us, He doesn’t have any of us.  Have you surrendered your will – your hopes, dreams, and plans – in favor of what God’s will is for your life?  When you think about surrendering to God’s will for your life, does it make you feel like you will be missing out on something or like you are gaining access to a life where all things work out for your best (Romans 8:28)?  Jesus provided the most powerful example for us to follow when He surrendered to God’s plan.

·      Wisdom…we can choose to follow our wisdom or God’s.  God’s track record in my life is much better than my own.  Our source of wisdom obviously tells us who or what we are listening to.  Who are you listening to when you form your opinions or make your decisions?  Thankfully God encourages us to ask for wisdom by promising to give it to us.   James 1:5-6 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.  From The Biblical Laws of Success by William Douglas and Rubens Teixeira: “…if you think it’s costly to get wisdom, wait til you see the cost of ignorance.”

·      Words…Scripture contains many instructions and warnings about how important the words we use are.  Ephesians 4 alone tells us not to lie (4:26), not to use unwholesome talk (4:29) and to build others up by what we say (4:29).  Are we willing to give up giving people a piece of our mind and instead surrender our words to God?  Are we willing to use our words to love our neighbors and love them like we would want to be loved?

·      Work…Colossians 3:23-24 gives us a charge and a reason to make God the Lord of whatever we are doing.  (Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.).  Even ‘secular’ jobs have a Kingdom impact when done as if to the Lord. 

It feels much easier to say we want to make God the Lord of every aspect of our lives than it is to live it out.  As with so many other things, the way to move from a desire to do something to actually do that which we want to do is to pray about it.  May this serve as a way to remember to pray that we will surrender to God and make Him Lord of every area of our lives.