The U.S. Army Leadership Field Manual defines Will as “the inner drive that compels soldiers and leaders to keep going when they are exhausted, hungry, afraid, cold, and wet – when it would be easier to quit.” It goes on to say, “The leader’s task is to develop a winning spirit by building their subordinates’ will as well as the skill.”
At the heart of a soldier is the Will to continue when it gets tough. A soldier will be pushed beyond his/her limits and it is only the will to decide to continue that keeps them going. When a soldier is looking down the barrel of a gun, he/she must make the decision of the will to keep moving forward in the face of death in order to continue the duties of a servant soldier.
At the heart of a disciple of Jesus is the Will to continue to the end: the will to persevere to the end. This will is not based on personal self-belief or abilities, but it is based on the person and purpose of Christ in our life. Jesus endured to the end, so can we. Jesus willed to do the will of the Father all the way to death, so can we because He is in us. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12).
Jesus says that disciples will love him supremely and will love others as He has loved us. That is what we are to be and do. But we must decide that that is what we WILL be and do. Peter faced this personal battle of the will in Mark 8. Jesus had just told the disciples that He must suffer and die at the hands of the Jewish leaders. Peter responded to this news by rebuking Jesus. This was not in His plans. He had followed Jesus this far, but this was too much. Jesus was requiring too much to be given up; the cost was too high. Jesus gathered the crowd around Him and spoke these words to teach what a disciple must do. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34).
If Peter was to continue in the path of a disciple, he must deny himself as the focus and authority of his own life, he must take up his cross of total submission and sacrifice to the will of God, and he must with allegiance follow Jesus. This is an internal decision of the will. This is a decision to put aside all personal interests in order to fulfill the interest of another.
Military men and women do this everyday for their country. They make a decision of the will to serve their country by setting aside the interests of their families, their friends, and even their own lives in order to serve the interests of all U.S. citizens. If military men and women can make this decision for their country, can we not make this decision for our Lord?
Will you make the daily decision of the will to put Jesus’ interests first? Will you decide to love Him supremely, to love others by serving them?
Father, thank you for deciding as an act of your will to send your Son to redeem me. Strengthen my will so that I may decide daily to serve you.
