When Jesus Is Truly Lord of Our Lives
Returning to God’s Original Plan
When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we are returning to God’s original Will and plan for our lives. It is one of the most dynamic awakenings available to humanity because it changes our eternal reality. From that very moment, we come alive to God spiritually. Something deep within us begins to recognize the truth—we remember who we were always created to be: one of His beloved children and a member of His holy and powerful household.
Our power does not come from anything we have earned or possess. It comes from the Spirit of Christ living within us. From the moment of our new birth, we are given the incredible privilege—and the responsibility—to live by His Spirit.
Acts 10:36 (NLT) declares, “This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” Philippians 2:10-11 (NLT) tells us, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” This is who our Lord and Savior is. This is the One we represent in the earth. And with every decision we make and every breath we take, this is who we are becoming more like.
The ultimate goal is that He dwells in us fully, not partially. Jesus must be Lord over every area of our lives. There is no argument that can weaken or diminish this truth. It means there is no shared control. We don’t get to call the shots while asking Him to bless our decisions.
Lordship doesn’t work that way.
It’s all Him. Yet Jesus doesn’t take control by force. He lovingly waits for our surrender. He waits for the moment when we are willing to open every part of our hearts to Him— even the places we don’t fully understand yet.
Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT) says, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”
This is a tremendous truth, and it must inform how we see our spiritual growth and maturity. Jesus will not force us to move to the next level of blessings and growth, but as we desire more out of our lives, those desires trigger an expansion that must begin internally before it ever reaches our external reality. That saying, “Be careful what you ask for…” aptly fits, because the growth that is necessary to extend our reach often brings discomfort.
This is where the noise of that unnamed sin gets a little louder. Romans 12:2 reminds us that transformation is part of our walk with Christ, and that changing the way we think is required. We all have junk in our trunks that we release and surrender more slowly than we should. But our heart’s desire will surface the thoughts that lead us to undermine it.
How Hidden Patterns Form in the Soul
Sometimes it’s a pattern that has quietly taken root in our soul over the years. It may show up in the way we respond to pressure, how quickly we take offense, how tightly we guard our hearts, or how we interpret other people’s intentions. These patterns become so familiar that we stop recognizing them for what they are.
What begins as a small, unchecked attitude can slowly weave itself into our thinking and behavior until it starts shaping the way we move through life. It influences how we respond to conflict, how we treat the people around us, and even how we approach God in prayer. Over time, something we barely noticed begins tightening its grip on our hearts, quietly affecting our relationship with others, with ourselves, and with the Lord.
In Psalm 51:10 (NLT), David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” This is the kind of prayer we pray when we start to see how those hidden, unnamed sins quietly sabotage our faith and block the blessings God wants to pour into our lives. It’s never about God holding back good things—He never does. The key is recognizing what’s getting in the way internally and making Jesus Christ Lord over that area of our soul. That’s where real healing begins, and that’s where freedom starts to flow.
Sometimes the sin we cannot name shows up in subtle ways—defensiveness, impatience, jealousy, resentment, or a quiet resistance to surrendering control. These things may have been hiding in plain sight for years, woven so tightly into our reactions that we assumed they were simply part of who we are. But the closer we walk with Christ, the more sensitive our hearts become to anything that interferes with His life flowing through us.
When the Holy Spirit Reveals What We Couldn’t See
This is not a sign that we are failing in our Christian walk. In many ways, it is evidence that we are growing. The Holy Spirit begins revealing deeper layers of our hearts when we are ready for greater maturity. What once went unnoticed can no longer remain hidden, because God is preparing us to walk in greater freedom, greater blessings, and a deeper relationship with Him. The unseen areas of our lives matter deeply to our Heavenly Father. When we recognize and ask forgiveness for the sin we couldn’t name, our hearts are truly renewed, and our walk with God grows stronger. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Asking Forgiveness for the Sin You Can’t Name”, written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2026. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to encouraging and inspiring Christian Women to live boldly through God’s Word.
