The Will or the Way - Softcover

EXCERPT

Hungering for God--Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (Matthew 5:6)

Hunger comes from emptiness, and spiritual emptiness is what the Holy Spirit has revealed and confirmed in us through the first three beatitudes. And now that we are hungering and thirsting for righteousness, the enemy will again attempt to sidetrack us by convincing us that the single focus of our lives must be obedience. The fact that the man or woman walking through this heart-conditioning process has a heightened sensitivity to sin, and a genuine desire to be free of its grasp, makes this deception particularly appealing. But make no mistake--it is a deception. For when our focus is obedience and not hearing and abiding, we take on the heart identity of a Laborer and become estranged from the Father.

An individual with a singular focus upon obedience will not hunger and thirst for righteousness, but hunger and thirst for a clear conscience and a religious life defined by outward form and appearance. People thusly preoccupied will speak affectionately of "commitment," and "passion." This is not to suggest commitment is undesirable or that passion should be shunned, but to recognize that within a healthy relationship, commitment is a consequence, and passion an aroused emotion. Commitment is also a common legal concept. If a man signs a promissory note or contract to provide some type of service or commodity, he makes a commitment. Commitment focuses upon performance rather than identity. The term is related to "action" or "delivery."

The Pharisees understood commitment better than anyone else, and used it as a primary grid to measure their value and the value of those around them. Men and women with the heart identity of a Laborer do the same. They think commitment reflects spiritual temperature. Sons and Daughters are different. They know their Father is not interested in the temperature of their commitment but the condition of their heart, for it is from the heart the issues of life flow. (Prov. 4:23)

Even in human endeavors, the richest relationships are not cemented by commitment but love, and in such relationships, commitment is not a cause but a consequence. A husband who truly loves and delights in his wife rarely, if ever, uses the word "commitment" when describing his affection for her. His thoughts will go to her voice, her hair, and the way of her heart. He knows the feel of her hand, the curve of her hip, the tilt of her head, and the look of her eye.

In eight chapters and 117 verses, the Old Testament's Song of Solomon doesn't mention commitment. It speaks of a bride who longs to be kissed and a groom who delights in her love. It tells of excited anticipation at the sound of an approaching footstep and the union of lovers. It is for good reason the word commitment is not there. Mature lovers
tend not to use it.

If a man truly loves his wife and is asked whether he is committed to her, he will likely have to pause and think about it before he can answer. He will, no doubt, respond in the affirmative, but he'll have to pause and think about it before he answers because he doesn't think of her in those terms. For him, commitment is not the essence of the relationship, but a definable consequence of it...

Kevin Avram spent more than twenty-years as a professional management consultant helping advocacy groups (non-profit corporations) structure themselves for success. His involvement in the institutional church, and his professional career with non-profit corporations, dove-tailed in such a way that he was able to gain a unique understanding of how the concept of corporation has come to shape the institutional church,  and in turn, influence so many aspects of contemporary Christianity.

Wes Boldt serves with Foundations of Purpose International, a Christian ministry and service organization operating out of locations in Scottsdale, Arizona and Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada. His personal comment from the book's summation states: "Over a period of years, prior to working with Foundations of Purpose International, the Father kept leading me into situations where I could learn about motivational gifts and their characteristics. He taught me in the quietness of my personal study. I also learned through seminars, conferences, short-term schools, the writings of those who teach about the gifts and one-on-one meetings with them..."