Will

And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."  (Genesis 2:16-17 NIV)

"So honor the LORD and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped…Serve the LORD alone. But if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve… as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD."  (Joshua 24:14-15 NLT)

Inside the picture of the mind I shared a couple days ago, a man is carrying a box.  His name is Will.  Will receives boxes (thoughts) from the outside world.  Will puts boxes (thoughts) on the conveyor belt leading back out into the world.  Will piles up boxes (thoughts) when he doesn't know what to do with them yet.  He throws away boxes (thoughts) that have no need to stay in the mind.  He even stores boxes (thoughts) away in the "warehouse" of our heart for long-term storage.  Will is very busy with all the boxes (thoughts) that come through the mind.

You and I have a "Will" in our minds as well.  He is free do choose whatever he wants to do with each box (thought) that comes through our minds.  God, in his Sovereignty, could control Will and make it do whatever He wants...but He doesn't.  "Choose today whom you will serve," He told the Israelites through Joshua.  "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden," He told Adam and Eve.  You have a Will...and he's free to choose.  With each of those statements, God also told them the consequences that come when Will chooses things that are not God's Design for our lives.  The Will is told, "You decide."

Often times I find myself talking with people who are Will-ing to give control of their Will to something other than God.  "He made me.  She didn't give me a choice.  It's fate, you can't control that.  Well, my horoscope says..."  We even forget at times that following God is a choice we make, not something that is imposed upon our Will.

So how about you? Are you Will-ing to live the life God wants for you?
Choose today whom you will serve.