Where there is a will, there’s a way, at least that’s what nearly everyone who has ever lived has been taught to believe. Even for those who have lived in dictatorial regimes, who have suffered persecution because of their ethnicity, those who have been denied even the most basic rights, as it were, know within their minds that if there is a will, there is almost always a way. The will may not be able to bend the bars of the prison cell, or give the legs that have no strength the ability to walk, but the will is not easily destroyed.
Those who believe that all hope is gone have not sought after the hope that is in Christ, (Rom. 8:24) they have refused, or neglected to see the invisible things that are clearly seen (Rom. 1:20) by all if they will just open their spiritual eyes. I have known, as many of you have also, complete hopelessness, a despair that is as black and seemingly endless as the deepest pit, the unmitigated knowledge that there is nothing left to look forward too. These are the moments that will power has left us completely, the flesh knows no strength, the mind can find no exit, and our very spirit is devoid of any hope. These are the moments of life and death, these are the thoughts that enter into those who contemplate suicide, and sadly, they are the last thoughts some will know here. When there is no will, there is no way.
At this juncture in many individuals lives is where one of two things generally occurs, they will as stated end their lives, something that is becoming more and more prevalent today, or they will begin to lie to themselves, a sort of pseudo-realism begins to over-take their lives, an image of what they should be becomes the norm, instead of who they are at this moment, their place in the world is altered thru false perceptions. Almost, but not always, these perceptions of who they should be are those ideologies that are pressed upon them by others, we will not call them weak willed, though that may be the reason they have come to this point in their lives, but they have become other-willed. When we adhere to the will of others, there is a way.
There is an extreme problem with all three of the matters of the will that we have briefly touched on here my friends, none are of Christ, and all lead to death. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Prov. 14:12) The will we choose to employ, whether it be of our own design or one that we accept as in accordance to what others believe is expected of us, leads to a place that is devoid of any value or worth in the eternal, because that way is not the way of Christ, it is the wrong way. Did you know that in the beginnings of the early fellowship of believers that those who followed the teachings of Christ were called the children, or followers, of “The Way.” “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) When we are in the way of Christ, our will, will be His will, the way will always be clear, for it is Christ that leads us, and He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. (Duet. 31:6)
This does not mean that the path will always be easy, far from it, for the born-again believer knows full well the price he may need to pay, the crosses that he must carry, the trouble and turmoil that he will be required to suffer while he is here, but the One who has promised is faithful and true, and His will for us is the only way that we desire to go. No righteousness is required by our own will, for they would be as filthy rags, (Isaiah 64:6) we can do nothing without Him, (John 5:30) and so all that we do is in submission to the Holy Spirit’s leading. We who were once blind can now see, for we have been blessed with a lamp to light our path, and we always keep oil handy to make sure that light never goes out, the word of God is our guide. If it is God’s will that we remain in, we can rest assured that we are on the right path, we are in the proper way.
Our own free will is one of the greatest gifts that we have been given, but it is also one of the reasons that we are stiff necked, our will wants to say that the way that we are on is always right, even when we know ourselves to be wrong. Many time we would rather suffer the consequences of our foolish actions than submit to what we know is correct, pride is a terrible task master, for it must be feed constantly and is never satisfied, and it is our will that it feeds on voraciously. “Not my will, but thine.” (Luke 22:42) Would you like to know how important these words are, they are important enough that our Lord spoke them in private to the Father while the others were asleep, (Luke 22:45) but He made sure that they were written down for us, and will stay written down for all eternity. (Matt. 24:35) Where there is God’s will, there is always a way, not sometimes, not on special occasions, always.
Can we tell by looking around us at our material possessions if we are in the will of God, sometimes, can we tell if we are in the proper way by those who love us and surround us daily, on some occasions, yes, but there is one way that you can tell if you are always in the will of the Lord, if the way you are following is the proper and correct way according to the Scriptures, if you are bearing the fruits of the Spirit, (Gal. 5:22-23) and if you are producing fruit. (John 15:16) The branch cannot abide without the vine, (John 15:5) and if you cannot see either of these two areas within you, then you may be on the wrong path.
Where there is a will, there is a way is a quaint saying, and one that I am fairly sure was invented by our adversary, who else spends so much time thinking of ways to make man believe that he alone is the master of his own destiny. It is very simple to stay in the will of God my friends, all you have to do is ask Him to keep you there, He will lead the way, all we need to do is follow Him, our Lord will never lead us astray or leave us behind.
