Psychological Matters

". . .he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone. . ." Matthew 14:23 Over the years I have met a few rare people who live mainly by their willpower. These individuals usually have done amazing things. I was particularly impressed by a 60-year-old man who regularly competed in triathlons. He explained that he daily ran several miles, biked a couple of hours, and regularly swam to prepare for the next race. This man was not prone to using his emotions as a driving force. I suspected he didn't ask himself if he felt like exercising on any given day. Reason also wasn't a driving force. I doubted he allowed distractions to interfere with his training schedule. He probably stayed extremely focused on the necessary preparations for the next race. To an outsider, he may have seemed irrational at times. It was only by his strong determination he was able to be successful. This man is an example of a person who lives his life by w...

Thought: "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love." Galatians 5:13 Anything I have successfully done has been the result of using my willpower. It is amazing what I have accomplished when I set my mind to it. For years, I secretly longed to play violin. I finally decided to do something about it and started taking lessons five years ago. I have stuck with it, despite not being easy. Many days I feel too busy or tired to practice, yet I have been pleasantly surprised at the payoff of my persistence. Thirty minutes of practice five to seven times a week has allowed me to now play concertos by Vivaldi and Handel. God gave us a fantastic gift when he empowered us with willpower. Our will not only enables us to be self-determined, but it also gives our life purposefulness. It gives shape to each day. We can decide to clean the house or to leave it a mess. We can decide t...