Scripture:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” – Matthew 7:21
Beloved,
Every believer must pause to reflect deeply on the true motive behind their pursuit of Jesus. Do we follow Him for blessings, comfort, influence, or convenience, or because He is Lord and worthy of absolute obedience? After feeding the multitude, Jesus confronted the crowd that sought Him eagerly. He said, “You seek Me… because you ate of the loaves and were filled” (John 6:26). Their pursuit was driven by appetite, not devotion. Many still follow Him today for the same reasons seeking His benefits rather than His will.
Yet Scripture warns us that visible results do not always mean divine approval. Jesus revealed that some will prophesy, heal, and perform mighty works in His name, yet He will declare, “I never knew you; depart from Me” (Matthew 7:22–23). The issue is not gifting or activity, but alignment. God values obedience above performance (1 Samuel 15:22). Only the one who does the Father’s will stands approved (Matthew 7:21).
God seeks worshippers in spirit and truth (John 4:23–24), believers whose lives and motives are purified and surrendered. True worship is the alignment of the heart with God’s nature and desires. It is choosing His will even when it challenges our comfort or contradicts our preferences.
Jesus, the perfect example and patterned Son, lived entirely by the Father’s will. He declared, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me” (John 4:34). In Gethsemane, when His humanity wrestled with the weight of the cross, He prayed, “Not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). This was not a moment of weakness but a revelation of true surrender. His obedience became our salvation.
To follow Jesus is to embrace this same posture allowing “Not my will but Yours be done” to echo in our hearts until every desire, ambition, and pursuit bows to His will. A life that is pleasing to God is not measured by activity but by obedience. When His will becomes our priority, the conflict of interest ends and the fragrance of true worship rises from our lives.
Prayer:
Father, search my heart and purify my motives. Deliver me from every conflict of interest that seeks Your blessings above Your will.
Teach me to desire what You desire and to follow Your voice even when it is costly.
Let the cry of Jesus “Not my will, but Yours be done” resound continually in my spirit until my entire life is aligned to Your purpose and pleasing to Your heart in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Adeolu Bakare
