Willpower
We understand why and how we draw upon our own will to get something done. Willpower isn’t at all physical, it is entirely metaphysical. What we don’t understand and therefore can’t adequately evaluate is somebody else’s willpower. This leaves us very few alternatives, which generally results in our substituting expectations for the understanding which we lack. I’ve asked many times, “are you willing to make these changes” when it’s become apparent that someone is moving down a path with a dead end. I don’t know what they are willing to do and too often they don’t know what they are willing to do either. If I tell them to do it and they are not willing to, then my expectations will be dashed and my tolerance shortened. However, if that same person can tell me that they are not willing to do something, we can approach the problem differently. This is how our 6 billion inhabitants, all with different wills, complicate life and relationships. We do the same thing with God. We know His abilities, but we don’t know His will except to the extent that His Word or His Holy Spirit gives us clues or directions. This, for us is a troubling dilemma. How can we pray for some outcome with our full faith if we don’t know God’s will on the subject or matter?
What does God want? In Matthew 27:43 we learn, “He trusts in God, Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God’.” These are the words of those who had questioned God’s will and Jesus’s claim, but the answers are still hidden beneath these words. Jesus knew full well that the Father would not intercede, for this was the fulfillment of the purpose for this life. When Jesus prayed to be relieved of the burdens he faced, he did so only if it was God’s will, for he knew that God’s will trumps all others and as His most obedient child, he respected and honored this. When Jesus asked for anything else, other then for himself, God answered those prayers, for that was also His will. The Apostle Paul was troubled with issues health throughout his life, but it is not apparent that he prayed for himself on those matters. When Jesus conveyed the power of healing to His chosen disciples, they did not use that power for their own well being, but did for the well being of others. God’s will is well documented in the bible and it is entirely selfless. Because we don’t understand His will we are often disappointed when our expectations are not met. Understanding is the replacement for expectations and the bible in it’s entirety is the foundation of understanding.
JC Calkins with COMMON SENSE 4 UNCOMMON PEOPLE
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