The Truth About Willpower

"You know willpower. It's that thing that makes us dismiss the chocolate fudge sundae that's sitting in front of us, though every cell of our bodies screams for us to dig in. Willpower is that thing that CEO's and professional athletes tell us they use to trounce the competition.

Willpower sure sounds like a great thing. We are led to believe that we have enough of it to fight off every temptation that comes our way. And sometimes it works. But let me tell you a little secret about willpower. Willpower is your best friend when things go well, but it's the first friend to check out when you get weary.

The Bible says we are to be led by God's Spirit. We are never instructed to be willpower-led, we are told to be Spirit-led!

Willpower and discipline are important and vitally necessary to a successful life, but willpower alone won't be enough. Determination gets you started and keeps you going for a while, but it is never enough to bring you across the finish line.

"Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord of hosts" ~Zechariah 4:6 NKJV

Now, what happens if, instead of turning first to willpower in your time of need, you turn to God instead? God releases His power into your willpower and energizes it to bring you across the finish line. Willpower does not get the credit for our success, God does.

Willpower and determination will get us started, but they've been known to quit in the middle and leave us stranded.

God never quits in the middle.

~Joyce Meyer in "Look Great Feel Great".