Today, it struck me as ironic that what makes us special is what Neil calls a self-operated, independent will, and our basic struggle is to become less self-invested, more dependent on God. No wonder it’s so hard!
In the last paragraph, if I’m reading this right (and I’d like to think that I am), the struggle with our will has to do with how we’re going to get our needs met. When we choose to get them met God’s way, we grow and become more mature. As we get more mature, it gets easier to choose to get our needs met God’s way. It’s the debt snowball of overcoming sin! (Shout-out to all the FPUers out there…)
It’s more than just the willpower involved in, say, breaking a bad habit. When I was a kid, I bit my fingernails. Trying to stop was a process, and I discovered that the longer I kept from doing it, the easier it was…
But as we purpose to overcome temptation in our lives, the Holy Spirit gives us a boost that carries us farther than our willpower ever would. Thank God for that! We just have to get going in the right direction, and He comes along and gives us extra momentum.
What I’m reading in these devotionals is that I’m not alone in my self-centeredness. (That’s another lie!) My basic tendency to want my own way is the tendency of humanity. My independence was a gift so I could fully choose to be dependent on God. Today, I’m going to focus on all the little choices I make, and how I get my needs met.
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