White Knuckles

There's going to be lots of people "white-knuckling" it over the next few days in weeks. Whatever bad habits we want to break, or good habits we want to begin, at the start of a new year we always "try harder" and ratchet up our willpower to make those choices that we hope will help us be better people.

I was reading David Benner this morning about the how we often make obedience and doing the will of God in our everyday lives just like new year's resolutions:

"First, we become aware of some change we feel we should make--more exercise, more praying, less anger, less eating, more play or something along those lines. Then we determine to do the thing we are trying to choose, screwing up our determination and fortifying our resolve. In short, we chose things that are not naturally attractive by reliance on willpower...

"...Don't misunderstand me. Bolstering our determination in order to do important things is obviously crucial for living. And doing things that are not naturally attractive is essential if we are to live responsibly. But what a tragedy if we lump choosing God in with things that are not naturally attractive. Is it any wonder that the thought of surrendering to God's will evokes mixed feelings? Choosing God's dream for us feels like choosing to take bitter medicine" (Discerning God's Will, p. 18-19).

There are a TON of directions to go in just out of these two paragraphs. I find Benner to be the kind of writer that stirs heart and soul and completes thoughts to many of the questions he sparks in my head as I read. I look forward to the remainder of the book.

The reality is that because of the fall it is not naturally attractive to us to choose to say YES to God. The Serpent convinced Adam and Eve that we are not God's beloved. But, the reality of the redeemed heart is that because of the Spirit of Jesus in us, we ARE the beloved. Choosing to say YES to God can become naturally attractive to us over time. But so often we skip over knowing whose we are and where we stand with Him when we become aware that our souls crave more/better life. We attempt to "pray more" or even "surrender more" out of our own willpower. What if the first step is to come to God and simply confess the desire for more/better, which is at its core a desire for HIM, and our inability to achieve "better" on our own? What if we waited and listened and sought Him rather than (or as the foundation of) tightening up our belt?

(Incidentally, this is not the stuff you see on the grocery checkout shelves... this is that part about the foolishness of the Gospel to all of us, until we surrender and receive, that Paul talked about in 2 Corinthians.)

Benner says, "Surrendering to God's will makes little sense if we are not first convinced of the depths of God's love for us.... Learning to prefer God's way to ours and discovering our identity and fulfillment in God's kingdom way demands that we know Love, deeply and personally" (p. 15).

Hoping that in the many decisions you and I face at the start of this new year, we will be able to pause, even for a split second, and acknowledge our Traveling Companion, and surrender to His "good, pleasing, and perfect will."