Will Power – A Skill You Need

 

You’ve seen it in a parking lot. Or even on your driveway. Perhaps in a community park. A tiny green “fragile-looking” plant pushes up through pavement, concrete, or asphalt as it reaches for the sun. That’s power! And it’s impressive. In fact, it’s a good picture of will power – a skill you need daily. Many people have lost this critical skill. At the same time, others break through concrete on their way to healthy living. Thankfully, will power is a skill you can pick up again any time.

Last article, Upended, we talked about will power. But, today’s content explores how will power helps you each day in everything you do.

What Is Will Power?

Many of us think about will power when sticking to a diet or exercise program. Others think of reserve needed to get through a difficult life season. Sometimes, a person may call on will power to finish strenuous requirements of an educational or professional pursuit. Equally, some draw from their storehouse of will power to manage depression or on-going health problems.

Regardless, will power is required to succeed. It helps you survive and thrive. Incidentally, this is true in both good times and bad. Consequently, it’s important to develop skill to apply will power.

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” (Mahatma Gandhi) Indomitable means unconquerable and unyielding.

Remarkably, will is a key component God wove into human design. Sadly, being skillful at engaging this element of original design is a lost skill for some people.

However, don’t panic. Just like riding a bike, you can pick it up again. Subsequently, let’s consider helpful synonyms.

Synonyms of Will Power

If you look up “will” in the dictionary, synonyms include:

• • Determination.
  • Motivation.
  • Drive.
  • Resolve.
  • Backbone.
  • Spirit.
  • Self-control.
  • Attitude.
  • Character.
  • Decision.
  • Desire.
  • Discipline.
  • Passion.
  • Power.

 

Impressive! With those kinds of words describing a person’s will, it appears you can do whatever you put your mind to. So, what is will power?

Will power is an energy that flows from your inner power center. Remarkably, this God-created center is given to each person. Did you know you have a power center? Additionally, did you know your power center is replenished with an eternal flow from God’s personal power center? That is, if you connect with Him.

Essentially, if a person is plugged into God correctly, they have endless power available daily. Incidentally, since life can get pretty difficult, this is important.

You know how it is –

• Problems get complicated.
• Relationships can get dicey.
• Stress mounts.
• Energy drain is continual.
• You get discouraged.
• And you get tired.

 

Nevertheless, Scripture promises you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. (Phil. 4:13) One translation puts it this way – “I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.”

Incidentally, what does God ask you to do? According to 1 Tim. 6:3, simply follow the sound words (or as the footnote says – the “healthy words”) of the Lord Jesus and His teachings.

Now, that’s an excellent start to apply will power.

The Skill Part of Will Power

If your life is like mine, you need strength, energy, vision, creativity – basically a good source of on-going power – to live each day well.

Since you have many balls to keep in the air, decisions to make, results to ensure, and responsibilities – you must learn the skill of using your will power well.

Many things happen outside your control, which makes living even more challenging. Honestly? The only thing you have full control over is your will. Subsequently, you need to get good at applying your will power. Truly, you should use it all the time to exercise:

• Control over words in a stressful conversation.
• Next responses when a situation turns direction unexpectedly.
• Endurance to get through a difficult life season.
• Balance for healthy choices of diet, exercise, rest, time management.
• The privilege of getting into God’s Word every day.
• Additionally, wisdom and discernment to get God’s Word into you.
• Positive perspective that keeps you out of a “victim mentality.”
• Healthy attitudes and a “can-do” approach.
• Finally, appropriate boundaries to keep the good in and the bad out.

 

Will power gives you options. Actually, because God is the source of your will power, He also provides options. Interestingly, you need options in this challenging world.

Incidentally, using your will builds a solid foundation under your life. Consider this. Each moment – you decide what kind of person you’ll be the next moment based on what you do in the current moment. All these moments chain together to form your life. That can be good – or not so good.

So, will power helps you do the right thing.

Your Skills List

So, now it’s time to look at your skills list. Everyone has skills. What are yours? Incidentally, it’s important every once-in-awhile to remind yourself what you are good at. So, right now, list your skill sets. And think about how you’ve used them.

Now, ask yourself what you’d like to add to your skill list. Dream a bit. Yet, be reasonable and practical. Thankfully, people continue to grow and learn all their life. So, it’s reasonable to increase your skills list. Perhaps it’s something you’ve always wanted to pursue, but because of various circumstances, you couldn’t. Perhaps now might be the right time.

Next, ask yourself what you can do better. How can you push forward into better skills using your will power? Equally, keep building your skill list into a powerful collection.

Finally, the best skill to pursue is the ability to wield your will. This power supports all your skill sets.

Interestingly, will power is strengthened with use and practice. For example, will power gives –

• Added “oomph” to complete a project.
• Additional strategies to finish a task.
• Ability to navigate less-than-desirable circumstances.
• Courage to pursue goals with confidence.
• Resolve to trust God always.

 

Will power also strengthens hope.

Your Will Power In This Broken World

You are the only person on the planet who can use your will to accomplish anything. Powered by God, your will is a valuable resource.

Solving problems, getting results, surviving a terrible loss, or maintaining balanced, healthy living isn’t always about changing your situation. That’s good news! Because many times you can’t change your situation. Obviously, running away doesn’t help. Similarly, pretending is unhealthy.

So, why not build your skills by wielding your will power? Remarkably, God designed you to use discipline and resolve to strengthen will power.

Encourage Yourself

Did you know you can develop will power skills by learning to encourage yourself? It’s true! In fact, Scripture supports this.

There’s a “never-fail” way to encourage yourself. Incidentally, the psalmist uses it to encourage himself numerous times. Listen to what he says.

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.” (Ps. 42:5, 11; Ps. 43:5)

So, what’s the take-away?

1. First, identify you need encouragement.
2. Immediately, turn to God.
3. Challenge yourself to think differently.
4. Next, calm your soul in God.
5. Deliberately put hope in God.
6. Then praise Him.
7. Finally, eagerly watch what He will do. Be willing to wait for His timing.

 

Those are things you can do.

According to Col. 2:2, God wants you encouraged. Additionally, many of Paul’s letters instruct to encourage others. You can encourage yourself and someone else.

2 Thess. 2:16-17 says, “May our Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, and God our Father, who loves us and by His grace gives us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”

Eternal encouragement! Good hope! Wow. And what’s the source? Jesus Christ, Himself. That’s why Scripture instructs to –

1. Identify you need encouragement.
2. Turn to God.
3. Think differently.
4. Calm your soul.
5. Put your hope in God.
6. Praise Him.
7. Watch what He will do – and wait.

 

Encourage yourself and others in the Lord using will power. This is discipline. Plus, it’s resolve.

Application Thoughts And Questions

The best way to become skillful using your will power is to take responsibility for your power center. Partner with God to be the person He created. Consider these thoughts and questions:

1. How good are your skills using your will power?
2. Are you daily aligning your perspective with God’s?
3. How faithful are you at getting into God’s Word each day?
4. What about skills of getting God’s Word into you in all scenarios?
5. How much pavement, concrete, or asphalt do you need to break through? Did you know you can do all things with God’s help? (Phil. 4:13)
6. Are you exercising your skill of will power? Controlled responses, endurance, life balance, wisdom, positive perspective, healthy attitudes, etc.
7. Do you eagerly expect to receive from God?
8. How often do you remind yourself of your skill sets? Do you use will power to encourage yourself and others?
9. Do you practice discipline and resolve?

 

For another article on will power, check out God’s Power Tools.

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