Today is an interesting read and an even more difficult choice about what to write about. I feel like this is one of those moments I could head in so many different directions and that those different directions might distract rather than enhance.
The last line of the opening paragraph grabs my attention, “The function of the will… is to organize our lives as a whole and to organize them around God.” What catches my attention is the ease of the sentence, but the difficulty of the two words “around God.” All of our lives are organized around something, the key is to have God at the center of the organizational structure.
Volition is a word we seldom use, some of you maybe even decided to look it up! Volition: “The faculty or power of using one’s will.” the book goes on to say,
“To Choose” The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. There are choices to be made, those choices take you somewhere.”
“One must have some object or concept before the mind” We never choose a thing we don’t know. We have to be at least somewhat familiar with the choices we are about to make. This is one of the reasons being in God’s word is so important. It’s the only way for us to familiarize ourselves with one of those choices that would be God’s. This is the part where our will comes into play. Will I choose God’s way or will I choose my way.
“And some feeling for or against it.” Feelings of joy for the result of a right choice. Feelings of satisfaction while making the right choice for the right reason. And to be honest, feelings of regret because you know this isn’t the right choice. Probably the worst being apathy, I don’t care, God your invited to blink right now cause I’m doing it my way.
Back to the well-kept heart, it’s capable of responding to life around it in ways that are defined by God as good, right, and just.
What about my choices today will lead me to life: or choices that are available today that would steal life from me or others. Feelings certainly come along for the ride. But how do I learn to enjoy the good feelings that come from being at the center of God’s will and learn to step away from those feelings that come from making the right decisions for which people will react negatively to me. My children, co-workers, parishioners all want their pound of flesh when truth is spoken and they don’t want to hear it.
We have to acknowledge our feelings and even enjoy them in the good moments of life. But we can’t let them overrun us in moments when truth trumps feelings. This is the moment when our will has to be stronger than our feelings. It’s about a long range view in those moments and not just the tyranny of hurt feelings in the moment.
Truth, Grace, and Time 