Are you willing to be willing?

Sounds like a weird question I know but it really makes sense after awhile.

We had a guy we prayed for months back, who is a Christian but had his life savings taken out of his account by a greedy sister.

Unable to forgive his sister and broke he came for prayer angry.

Who could blame him, after all, he had everything taken away in trust situation with his sister. His sister, didn't hate her brother, just that she loved money more.

Actually if you love one, you'll hate the other!

Thats another story JESUS taught on, but back to this one.

So the guy couldn't forgive although he knew he had to. Or at least he knew that it would be better off for him not to live with the anger, resentment and bitternesss of not forgiving her, but at the same time hated her! She took everything and when he confronted her, she brushed him off either unwilling or unable to pay it back.

So, he sits there wanting help, needing a prayer answered and frustrated like anything.

I asked him "would you be willing to be made willing"?

He looked puzzled.

I said again, would you be willing to let GOD change your heart, change your will in the situation?

You are told to forgive, because GOD has forgiven you but you can't do it of your self you need HIS help (GOD'S help in the matter).

He asked, 'what do I do?'

Pray (it went something like this, but please use your own words and pray from the heart) "LORD, I don't want to forgive my sister, in fact I can't - I hate her! But I am willing for you to change my heart and make me forgive her - change me, instead!."

It also happend to our son, he failed his math test and had been going on a spiral downward in math. Getting lower grades in it and starting to hate it. Other marks were alright but math was getting the better of him.

He voiced his displeasure. "I hate math, and my math teacher doesn't like me".

Finally the straw the broke the camels back was a math test failed. As he had never failed one before.

The math teacher called me and asked me if I could make him correct his mistakes at home on his math test and the teacher gave him his test to do over at home. Not a test redo, where he would get the benefits of a perhaps better mark, but just correct it at home and learn from it.

So, of course when the time came at home, this son of ours was angry and frustrated and not at all willing to do it.

Why?

This is how the devil beats us so easily.

He tells you lie like "you are no good in math"
and he repeats it often, like "you suck in math" is what he told our son.
Then loudy repeats these negative words.

Then you end up having to do hard math homework and the devil tells you again, "your math teacher hates you and you are no good in math - your the worst in the class."

Then you get rattled, and the devil is good at slowly building this lie into you for months (maybe years).

After awhile you fail your math test and the devil is quick to say, "see, you are terrible in it - the worst by far".

Then its too late, you believe the lie that is cemented in the fact that its so obvious because you just failed it!

So, he wouldn't correct his test - no way - no how.

Again, 'would you be willing to be made willing'?

Yes, was his plea.

Then to the LORD in prayer : "LORD, I hate math, I think my math teacher hates me as well, and I believe I am the worst in my class and don't even want to do math anymore - because I absolutely HATE IT! But..." he continued, "I am willing for you to make me willing, I am willing to have your heart in the matter."

Right after this he said "I feel a jolt of joy overtake me" and he did his entire test again (it took 2 hours) as he opened his math book and corrected all his errors.

Great stories, The man in the story above, found peace and left in joy.
Our son, found GOD's joy and both did something they had no planned desire
or ability to accomplish.

Great communicating - great parenting ability?

I think not!

GOD changes hearts - are you willing to be made willing?