Resigning to God's Will

The old grannies and grandpas can often be heard saying that they have resigned everything to God's will. But, one would rarely find any youth saying so. Why does this variation occur between the youth and the old ones? As commonly observed, the older ones say so because they consider themselves weak and helpless. Whereas, in the younger days, one speaks about volition, undertaking business, meeting the challenges, and so on! A youth feels that he is self-sufficient and independent. That, he is full of strength and vigour! And, therefore, he doesn't find the concept of 'resigning to God's will' matching his youthful personality!

Another aspect seen in the context of 'resigning to God's will' is when things work out in our favour, as per our desires and wishes. We tend to play smartly and try to pose ourselves as the humble followers of God's will! But, this attitude of 'surrender to God's will' vanishes in one go when we see any clash or hurdle in the fulfilment of our will and desires… Then we like to have our own way!

The need is to realise the true meaning and depth in the concept of surrender to God's will. The life and approach of the great ones helps to gain insight in this regard.

If we take a closer look at the life of Jesus Christ, it inspires us to question the correctness in our understanding of the subject. When Jesus came to know about his crucifixion, He could have forsaken the path of Truth and chosen his own way that could have prevented his crucifixion. But, unlike us, who are solely concerned about the fulfilment of our own will and don't even hesitate to renounce the path of righteousness if it goes against our wishes, Jesus said these words– “Let Thy will be done and not mine.”

It is a perfect example of resigning to God's will, even in the worst adversities. Such resignation to God's will was observed in the life of Socrates who chose to consume poison rather than turning away from God or the Truth. We all remember and respect such great souls till date who truly resigned to God's will.

One more difference can be highlighted between our attitude and that of the noble ones in this regard. Contrary to the common man's attitude, the noble souls exhibit an expression of thankfulness to God for all good that happens to them. And, in case of unfavourable circumstances, instead of blaming God, they express the attitude of humility and take the responsibility on themselves. This kind of attitude is indeed the sign of annihilation of the ego and humility and, therefore, speaks about one's spiritual progress and greatness. They, therefore, give the same message to mankind. The Bible states that let a man count upon himself forever as an unprofitable servant of God. This way he would be forever receiving God's grace.

These differences are due to our lack of understanding and realisation of the true import/importance of the subject. It is important to comprehend that resignation to God's free will is not an expression of cowardice, pessimism, dispiritedness, or dullness. In reality, it denotes the highest level of courage, surrender, humility and greatness– an expression which is understood and exemplified only by those who are not trapped in the web of desires, attachment, ego and selfishness.