The Will

We call it volition. Volunteer comes from this. It is a free choice. It is the opposite of someone imposing their will on us, even God. God states His will. We have to conform ours to His if we really desire to walk with Him. Jesus moves from merely talking plainly to His disciples to now talking to them along with the crowds. (Mark 8:34) So what He is going to say about following Him applies to all and not just some "clergy" folks who wear funny collars and have a church office. Jesus wants to make sure they understand that His requirements for following Him applies to everyone equally, and not just to a select few. Everyone has a will and everyone has to choose for themselves. This is not a group decision. It is a personal decision. Do you desire to follow Jesus? Is this what your will wants? Are you drawn to Him as the one you will fall in with and go where He goes? Or does your will pull you in a different direction?

When Jesus says, "If anyone wishes to come after me.." He uses a very common word, Thelo. It is used over 200 times in the New Testament and it would be a great study to see all the various context in which our will and God's will is exercised. For instance it is used in the story of John the Baptist after his arrest. Three wills aligned against John, Herod, Herodian, and Herodian's daughter. They all eventually desired the same thing, the head of John the Baptist on a platter. It was done. (Mark 6)  A leper once asked Jesus if He were willing to heal Him, and Jesus was willing. (Mark 1)  In this case Jesus' emotion of compassion caused His will to be exercised to heal. Here we see how often emotion and the will work in concert with one another to produce an action.

Here is my journal notes: Here Jesus is discussing the will to follow. Do we really wish to follow Him? Everywhere? Falling in behind Jesus requires we give up our direction, our pace, our destination, our route. Jesus' statement in the Garden sums it up: "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; Remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will but what you will." (Mark 14:36) Following Jesus is often a struggle of the will. Whose will will be done? Who gets their wish? Whose way will be followed? It is easy when we want the same things, but so difficult when we want what is in contradiction to His way. Man's will is strong. It does not lay down easily. But once we turn a corner in our minds and desire, wish, will to follow Jesus, then we must take some very specific actions to make it a reality. If I wish to loose weight, quit smoking, run a marathon, climb a mountain, or master an instrument or 1000 other things-what follows that wish is the same..But one thing is different. Jesus is a person with His own will.

Jesus confronts each of us with this fundamental question: What do you really wish? Be careful how you answer that question. You might get it. Or you might not. The only sure way to get what you wish is to wish to follow Jesus, and really wish it. The end of that road will not disappoint.