Brilliant character.......

Seems as if lately the best compliment that can be given to a public figure is to say how very smart he or she is!  Talking heads open news stories with declarations of individual intelligence as if they had read their IQ scores recently. This happens even more so on commentary programs. As an educational diagnostician myself, I am inclined to seek footnotes citing the source of such data. Who tested this individual?  When?  What intelligence test was used and who scored it?  But, no such documentation is ever presented. In fact, school records are almost always ignored.  (As an aside, former teachers or professors never seem to come forward to wax philosophic about the academic performance of these "brilliant" former students either.)

So, we, the public are left with verbal presentations to be taken as fact.  The folks making the comments about intelligence are supposed to "know" this somehow.  In their constant repetition, we are sure to just accept this as fact.  Unsubstantiated, but none the less fact.

OK, so maybe these public figures are smart.  My question, once I get past the undiagnosed declarations of their brilliance, is what kind of character do they have?  Does anyone even care?
Apparently not.

But then we knew that.

"Where is the wise man?  Where is the scholar?

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?"  I Corinthians 1: 20

"I will meet you on Thursday for lunch."   "I will see you tomorrow."   "I will follow up on that project."  " I will not say that again."  "I will not gossip." " I will not overeat."  "I will go to the gym faithfully." "I will not let you down, I promise."  "I will...."   "I will....."  "I will not..."

Life seems to be full of "I will's" and "I will not's".  So what is our 'will' anyhow?  Think willpower as in determination.  Think willful as in petulant child.  Think "will I?"  Will I really do that thing I said I would?  Or, not do that thing I said I would not?  There is a hint of self discipline and commitment here.

Although our conversations are full of "I will's", how consistent are we?  How true to our word?    Promises. Do we really mean it when we say it and just run out of self discipline?  Or-do we just say it to move the conversation along and look cooperative or sorry in the case of "I will not ever again..."

God's will is another thing entirely.  Or is it? Do we really believe that God means what He says?  Do we really want to know God's will for our lives in decision making, or is that just our Christian-ese for acting like we are open to God's suggestions?  If we discern God's will, will we want to do it?  Easier said than done.  We are willful, selfish creatures with plans of our own.  God's will is OK and all, but if and when it interferes with our plans or daily schedule.....Well perhaps we discerned it wrong and God didn't really ask that of us.

God gave us free will and we cherish that.  We commit to our Lord and Savior and then quickly forget the "Lord" part.  Happy to live as if God were out helper and cheerleader, not ruler.  It is how we humans are made.  We love to be in charge of ourselves.

So, in this proposition of what exactly is our "will", I propose that it is our flesh pushing us and tricking us into getting our own way.  Both when our choice of path is good for us or bad.  It takes several trips around the racetrack for most of us as Christians to grasp the concept of the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  Ah, then try to live letting Him be Lord.

I am discovering that there is discipline and conscious "WILL" involved more than we realize in our daily walk with Christ.  Praying, reading the Word, stopping our obsession with what we want or find comfortable or pleasing ain't so easy in today's world of materialism and comfort.  Spending time with God is real work that requires willpower.  Talk all you want about those top of the mountain experiences wherein one attends a spiritual conference and hunger for God's Word and time with Him seem to come so naturally.  Go home to your daily routine and devotions seem too hard to fit in somehow.

The question is really whether we as Christians "will" give over our wills to our Savior.  Will we want to spend time with Him more than we want to pursue our favorite hobbies or pass times?  Will we do it anyway?  Will we use busy work schedules or families as our excuse?  Will we secretly admit to ourselves that it will take willpower to devote time to our Father that He so richly deserves and longs to spend with us His children?

Well, will we?