Calvin Synod Herald, 1985 (85. évfolyam, 1-5. szám)
1985-02-01 / 1. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD — 7 — REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA THE IMPORTANCE OF WILLPOWER Bible Reading: John 4:31—54, Text: 4:50 “Go, your son will live! The man believed Jesus’ words and went. ” To illustrate the importance of willpower I will tell you a story about two mice. Once upon a time two mice went for a walk. They were hungry. In their journey for food they ended up in the pantry. They noticed a large jar filled with sweet cream almost to the top. They were trying hard to reach in from above, but they could not reach as far as the cream. As they were about to have the first mouthful they both fell into the sticky milkproduct. The two mice became petrified. The brim of the jar was close yet not close enough to reach it. They were swimming already for ten minutes, but is seemed like eternity, when one mouse was ready to give up. He said, “What is the use of my struggling? What hope do I have? If I stay in the cream very long the cat may come in and that will mean certain death. If the cat does not come, the landlord will come sooner or later and that means death also. I think I will stop struggling. I am too tired. The other mouse said to him, “Don’t give up. Fight as long as you can. Use your willpower.” “I am too weak answered the other. I am too tired to swim. I am going to drown in a few seconds.” “Please don’t give up so easily encouraged the stronger mouse. Try and try as long as you can.” For about ten minutes he tried but then he said I will stop swimming now. It is no use to continue.” The mouse with the willpower looked at him sadly and said My poor buddy! I may fail also, but as long as I have a tiny bit of energy I will continue the struggle. So he kept on swimming. So many times he was almost ready to give up. “Maybe my friend was right, we die anyway. Perhaps I should quit too.” But he didn’t. He looked at his friend. He was peaceful now. Too bad he was not at the edge of the jar, maybe he could have helped me”, said the little mouse as he kept swimming. As he was moving his legs he realized that it was easier and easier to stay afloat. He thought he was dreaming. But no he was not dreaming. It was true. He could almost stay on the surface now. He started to swim faster now and within a few minutes the tired little mose was able to walk on the top of the cream, because it had become butter from his movements. He was not the prettiest sight but he was very happy that he did not give up the fight in the time of trouble. His willpower saved him. Does it ever happen to you that you are ready to give up some kind of a project because it seems too difficult? When I was a teenager I was ready to quit a school because it was too difficult. It was an experimental school in which only good students with A and B average were allowed to go. Out of 166 only 78 graduated. I never had a lower mark than an A before and when I started to get a couple of B-s I was ready to give up. Fortunately my parents did not let me. Since that time I have learned that if you give up once it is easier to give up later on. I have met many people who desired death. They were tired of living. They thought that nobody cared for them. Once I met a man who had terrible pains in his knees. He was begging the doctors to amputate his legs. The doctor said nonsense. We will operate and put in artificial joints. He was cured and each time he remembered that he was ready to give up he almost cried. Did it ever happen to you that you were so sick that you wished that God would call you back to His eternal home? Did it ever happen to you that when you have lost somebody who was close to you everything became meaningless. How many times we are ready to give up because our will power is weak? Do you know how a disease is being cured? You get a vaccination. The sickness is planted into you, so that your body would learn to produce antibodies. Your resistance is built up by facing the diseases. The same thing is true of your spiritual and mental life also. Troubles can break you, but they can also make you a stronger person. Over protected children are more apt to get sick and problems may destroy them easier. People without troubles have a harder time to grow spiritually and mentally. They have a harder time to help others. How can you understand the problems and needs of others if you never faced any difficult times? In schools the young people get tests. The examinations are often difficult and hard, so you must learn. Life is often difficult and hard so we must learn to use our faith and our willpower to face the problems. It is difficult to preach about heaven to people who have everything. But when you are in need of something you realize the need for God. Deep spiritual resources are opened up in great troubles. I was only a little child during World War II, but I remember that during those troubled times the churches were so packed that at times there was no room inside. When a disaster hits us, such as earthquake, flood or tornado we became aware of the fact that there is a greater power above us who controls our life. Why can not we remember God all the time? Why do we have such a weak willpower at times? It is pitiful. Did you know that the average man uses only ten percent of his ability? God has given us tremendous powers. We have a great deal of energy hidden in our faith and mind and often we fail to use it. During this Lenten season I would like to urge all of you to seek out the hidden powers you have and come to the realization of your God given gifts. In our text a man came to Jesus to seek his help because his son was dying. But Jesus told him “Go, your son will live. The man believed Jesus’ words and went.” His son was healed. He had faith in the power of Jesus and his faith has worked miracles. The ability to believe and the willpower is given to every one of us. But often the flesh is stronger than our will. Did you ever try to diet? You made a promise after this meal I am going to start. Just this meal — well might as well fill myself up, because tommorrow I am going to start it. It happened to me many times. I always started tomorrow and seldom today and now. Do you ever make resolutions for the new year. It is February now. Do you have any resolutions left yet? Did your willpower fail you? I am quite sure that many young people make resolutions at the beginning of the school year about serious studying. I used to promise in each September, now this school year I will study twice as much as before and what happened? It was easier to chase the ball on the soccer field than to work on the school assignment. If you want to get somewhere in this life you need to set achievable goals and work for them. If you want to have your religion help you must learn to turn to God in prayer and must learn to trust him with all your heart, and all your soul and all your mind. God has given many talents. He has given us the will to work out our problems. So let us use our ability and willpower to become worthy servants of our Creator. Jesus was able to heal because his body was under the control of his spirit. His faith and willpower defeated even the diseases of other people. If we want to live a normal happy life we must have faith and confidence in God as well as in ourselves. Did you know that there are two diseases which can imitate all other diseases. These two diseases are syphilis and schizophrenia. When syphilis strikes the doctors might be mislead by the sickness because it can effect the heart, the lung and many other parts of the human body. It can cause a sickness which can be like something else.
