"Thy will be done" is not always about self-sacrifice

"Thy will be done" is a well-known phrase to Christians. It is part of our regular prayers, including the one Jesus taught us: "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven." The same phrase is also famously, heart-wrenchingly part of Jesus' prayer before his arrest: "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." And we often interpret it in that light: no matter how costly, we are to trust God's direction. So we think of what God's will may cost us. 

But it is not always shown that way in Scripture. Jesus also speaks of God's will in terms of the connections it creates, the fellowship it builds: 

"Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother." (Mark 3:35)

And so an act of seeking God's will transforms the situation to where Christ is our brother, and finds us as brothers and sisters to each other. Even an orphan and an only child may find themselves part of a large family in that light. Doing God's will brings us into a preview of the kingdom of heaven, as it begins to foreshadow itself on earth in the fellowship of those united in God's will. Which brings us back: "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." 

There are times when we feel alone, seem alone. It is part of the human condition. The will of God changes that. Being aware of that may make us more eager to welcome it.