A Matter of the Will

T. M. Moore | Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Therefore they could not believe.
- John 12:39

He does not say that it is the doing of virtue that is impossible for them, but because they would not practice virtue therefore they cannot practice it.
- Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of John 68.2

My friend and mentor Rick Duwe turns 70 this year (he won't mind me telling you). Not only did he lead me to a saving knowledge of the Lord, but he gave me the single most important piece of counsel I ever received.

I became a Christian while a sophomore in college. Rick faithfully shepherded me during my first year of faith, giving me a Bible, showing me how to start reading it and how to pray, and he kept an eye on me, as friends will do.

I was not a very willing sheep, however. Seems I always had a "good reason" why I was not spending time with the Lord or reading my Bible consistently. One day Rick chatted with me at the Student Union and challenged me to face up to the fact that my faith may not be genuine. He didn't say as much, but his challenge to me about my lack of prayer and my unwillingness to invest time in God's Word certainly got my attention.

The upshot of it all, as I came to see, was that I was deceiving myself into thinking that I really wanted to be with the Lord, because, in fact, I didn't. Rick saw that plainly, and he made me face up to my indifference toward the Lord Who had saved me. Then, having confronted me unflinchingly, Rick put his arm around me and said, "T. M., we will do in our lives only and exactly what we want to do, and nothing else. And when you really want to spend time with the Lord in His Word and prayer, you will."

I had to face up to my utter ingratitude and presumptuousness. I resolved not to live my Christian life this way and pled with the Lord to help me want to be with Him. He graciously complied with my request, and I've never had to make it again.

Virtue is like this. Look, it's easy going with the flow of culture and friends. Anybody can just reflect what's going on in the world by how we talk, dress, relate to others, spend our time, think, and so forth. In order to grow in Christ and the virtues with which He longs to clothe us, we have to want it. We have to be willing to stand against every contemporary trend or practice which dishonors the Lord, and to invest the time and energy necessary to "put on the new person" who is being re-made in the image of Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:17-24).

If you're not growing in virtue, not becoming daily more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 3:12-18), it's probably because you have not decided this is what you really, really want. And if it's not what you want, then at least admit it to yourself. Say to yourself, "I know Christ died and rose again so that I might live a life modeled after His, in true righteousness and virtue. But I'm just not willing."

And as you say that to yourself, imagine Rick Duwe's bony finger jamming against my sternum.

Or maybe yours.

When we want to be virtuous - truly Christlike in all our ways - we will seek the Lord to help us, devote our time and energy to pursuing it, and daily walk the path of virtue that Jesus trod
(1 Jn. 2:1-6).

It is a matter of the will.

What are you willing at this moment?