WILLPOWER WITHOUT GOD'S POWER

A new year is here again and a warm congratulations to all. Transiting into a new year means a lot to many people. One of such is looking inward to dig out all the habits they consider bad with a view to doing away with them and effect a character and lifestyle change in anticipation of the New Year. This is because they want a new beginning and a fresh start. That is when New Year’s resolutions come into focus.

New Year’s resolutions, which have become a platitude in this modern day, could be traced to the medieval era. Resolutions come with a very strong decision by those making the commitments not to revert to the old ways of doing things. Resolutions made by people always come with a strong will laced with the notion of translating into a better character, hence, they vow to stay glued to them.

It is a well-known open secret that it does not take long before the new resolutions begin to wear out and dissolve into a very thin air. People find it extremely hard to stick to their newly found lifestyle, not even their willpower could find the desirable expression.

Several reasons have been attributed to the failure and collapse of resolutions: busy schedules, procrastination, making unrealistic resolutions and all whatnot. Experts have done intense research and have come out with diverse panacea, but all to no avail.

The questions that come up is why do people who are always resolute about their resolutions often end up falling short? What is the reason behind this strong commitments evaporating easily like a volatile substance? The reason is within reach: People believe in their willpower rather than God’s power!

Willpower without God’s power leads to emptiness. Willpower only functions for a short period of time because its foundation is derived from the human flesh that is not recreated.

“When there is a will, there is a way” so goes the popular maxim. There may be a temporary way out, but the way out is a disaster waiting to happen. It is when a will is rooted in the power of God, that there will be a way out

A person with willpower believes so much in what is carnal self can do and he is determined to make a success out of it. Self-determination will only make such person grounded in himself (flesh) rather than in God’s ability. It may turn out to work for a while, but it is a matter of time before it fails. Self-determination that does not align with God’s ability always end up in disappointment.

When willpower takes a man to the end of himself (his ability), that is when he erroneously quote Matthew 26:41 “The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak”. How can a weak flesh without the sprit of God expect a miracle to happen?

For a resolution to be resolute and find a true lasting meaningful expression, there is need for God’s strength and ability. We cannot do anything without Him. We amount to nothing if we fail to acknowledge His ability.

An unregenerated spirit, a spirit that is still corrupt with sin, can only do things in his ability and not that of God, making it difficult for him to stick to any resolution he makes.

A person that is born again has received the strength and the abilities of God. He has a regenerated spirit. This is because at conversion, he has received a new spirit, (2 Corinthians 5:17) a spirit that enables him do all things (Philippians 4:13). This spirit will always make him walk and stick to any physical or spiritual resolutions he has made (Philippians 2:13) and all he needs to do is to constantly renew his mind with the word of God.

No matter what your resolutions are this year and beyond, whether they look achievable or not, the only guarantee and assurance that you will adhere to your resolutions is by inviting Jesus Christ into your life. Without Him, we are nothing in this world. His entrance into your life will beautify you and you will never regret your decision. Give Him a chance today, and i assure you your life will never remain the same.