09/10/2024
I used to think if I just had enough willpower, I could learn a new language, excel in my ministry, be a man of deep, spiritual faith. The older I get, however, the more I’m discovering that willpower, by itself, is simply not enough.
Have you tried to “will” your way to breaking a habit, overcoming a temptation, losing weight, or becoming a better version of yourself? How’s that working out for you?
Even the Apostle Paul acknowledged his own failure to will his way to conquering sin and growing spiritually. To the church in Rome, he wrote, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19, ESV).
We need willpower, but willpower can only take us so far. We also need a reliance on “Godpower,” where the power of Christ rests upon us (2 Corinthians 12:9). But the question I’ve often wrestled with is, How do I tap into that Godpower to help my willpower grow?
That requires “skillpower.” Let me explain. In a 1970 study led by psychologist Walter Mischel from Stanford University, 32 children were placed in a room by themselves with a marshmallow sitting on the table in front of them. The children were told they could choose to go ahead and eat the marshmallow, or if they waited for fifteen minutes, they would receive a reward of two marshmallows. Then the researcher would leave the room.
What the researchers learned was that the children who delayed their gratification did so not only by willpower but also by skillpower. They created distractions by inventing games to take their minds off the marshmallow sitting before them. Or they would hide the marshmallow so that it was not directly in their line of sight. Or they would squish the marshmallow, making it less appealing. The researchers discovered that the children who succeeded in delaying gratification did so by using skill to enhance their will.
Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children” (Matthew 11:25, ESV). And, yes, through what is now known as “The Marshmallow Experiment,” those 32 children revealed the truth that to connect our willpower to Godpower requires skillpower.
The good news in all of this is that skills can be learned. Whether you call them habits, rhythms, practices, or disciplines, all of us can develop the skills needed to tap into the power of Christ which deepens the power of the will to break a habit, overcome temptation, or grow spiritually.
So, I encourage you to hone your spiritual skills. Develop daily practices. Set your schedule. Monitor your inputs if you want better outcomes. And like those 32 children, implement simple practices to help you accomplish your goals. Remember, tapping into Godpower through skillpower grants you greater willpower to be the person God has created you to be.
