More than ever in society, the will, is heralded as our most prized possessions. In a time where the self-help industry thrives on such a mentality, we are led to believe we can and should "Make It Happen..." Our wills are looked upon with great pride and prowess, both as a means of survival and overall betterment of life. I can remember a great example of a friend of mine who was on my staff several years ago. When he would be praying for a certain situation or issue in his life, and when asked how it was going, he would always respond by saying "I'm willing it into being!" While a humorous example indeed, I'm not quite sure more people of faith don't believe they are doing exactly that; making it happen by their own will, passion, and rigorous efforts. I too, once subscribed to such error filled theology.

As I was reading Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray the other day, I was reminded of just how morally weak our wills are. Though even reborn and trained with precise doctrinal understanding, our wills are not enough to ward off the schemes of the enemy. Murray eludes to a great mistake many Christians make: they think that when there is a spiritually renewed will, it alone is enough to strive against sin, and withstand the enormously powerful temptations of this life.

While I adamantly subscribe to a high degree of faith based living in my own life, and while I also support the ability to pursue a goal with almost incomprehensible dedication, I do not believe that such soulish dedication is enough to win over moral failure of any sorts. In fact I think our will alone, miserably pales in attempts at overcoming our own propensity for evil and destruction.

As we look to the scriptures, I have found the book of Romans to be wonderfully illustrative of the helplessness of man to live holy and pure, simply by his passionate intent and will to do so. In no way do I mean to minimize our intentionality at living undefiled by this world and its opportunity for selfish and fleshy pleasure. However, our mind set and overall mental health in how we attempt to live so morally strong, is vital.

For example, in Romans 7:6-25, you will find the Apostle Paul speaking of his desire to want to overcome sin and his old nature, yet he declares his frustration at his inability to do so. It is in the course of this struggle that there comes to be, both to Paul and to us, a sense of sober awareness to his utter sinfulness and frailty. It is God's way of dealing with our humanistic pride, and us. He allows man to strive to fulfill a law that is totally apart from the beauty and glory of Christ, in order to produce a very God inspired frustration and brokenness, that cries out for a Savior. As man strives and wrestles, he ultimately ends at this conclusion: I am a regenerate child of God, yet I am utterly helpless to obey and fulfill His law through my own power. Paul goes on to use loaded and descriptive words such as "I am carnal, sold under sin"; "I see another law in my members bringing them into captivity"; "but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members." Last of all, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

You'll also notice in the 7th chapter of Romans, the Holy Spirit does not receive mention once. Nor does the name of Christ even occur except in the end, as the final solution to being set free and delivered. This is not doctrinal error on the part of the Apostle Paul, but a display of the inadequacy of man's ability to live holy and pure, unstained by evil, without the indwelling power of Christ and His Holy Spirit. Though it may show a strong belief in doing his very best to obey the law of God with his regenerate will's best effort, you can hear the frustration which bellows out through his quintessential statement "Wretched man that I am....who will set me free...."

Look deeper and you will find the words, "I," "me," and "my," occur more than forty times. It is purely the result of a man's fleshly and voracious attempt at moral victory. Even after conversion a man begins to do his best, yet strategically fails; but if we are brought into the full light of Christ, we need to fail. (Please note, I do not in any way mean to justify adultery, addiction, or moral failure of any sorts. Simply put, I mean we must be brought to the end of ourselves before we realize our desperate need for a savior and redeemer in our fight against our own sinful nature) God allows that failure to teach a man true contrition and brokenness, in order to produce a need and compelling desire for constant dependency upon Christ for hope, meaning and strength.

After our moral failures and tragedies of all sorts, we will find ourselves crying out for the power of Christ to eventually get back up, choosing to believe once again.

But believe in precisely what you may ask?

The belief in God's ability to completely forgive us, heal us, love us, and restore us.

WHAT IS GOD SAYING TO YOU TODAY? have you recently found yourself like Paul, crying out "Wretched man that I am...who will set me free?" If so, take courage today. You are right where you need to be, morally, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. You are on the precipice of the great and necessary revelation that it is only through Christ and His power, that all things are indeed possible. Matthew Henry coined it this way: "Our wills are not weaponry enough to stand against the enemy!" Without the continual indwelling power of Christ and His grace, we will find ourselves frustrated, fatigued, and ultimately susceptible to arriving at a dangerous mentality. A mentality which screams "why even fight it, it's too powerful for me, I can't win." If this is true, Jesus never won victory for us at Calvary. If such a mentality is true, there is no hope to living victoriously in this Darwinian world at all. Therefore, we should simply give in and get all we can get, live how WE want to live, forgetting about the consequences and casualties of family after family, marriage after marriage, all while we pursue our sordid desires and wants. Keep in mind, as many of us have learned by experience, we will be the very wrecking ball used to destroy all that Christ finds holy, pure, precious and vital in His Kingdom. I have found great solace in the reality that I am nothing in myself, but I am everything (that I, they, my wife, my children and everyone else needs) in Christ. I invite you today... acknowledge your weakness and wretchedness. It's a relief to finally fall upon the altar of Christ and admit your brokenness and YOUR utter inability to fix, save, redeem or restore yourself or your family. Invite Christ into your situation and struggle. Invite Him to take over and then give it all to Him. As the war against our marriages, families and souls wages on like never before, the power and grace to overcome is greater than ever before; but it is only attainable when you surrender your will for His, and choose to live in Christ's power!

WE'RE HERE FOR YOU, AND WE'RE PRAYING FOR YOU!!

Phillipians 2:13
For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for HIS good pleasure.