The struggle.

An eternal battle has raged in every heart, through every century.

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It started in the Garden and continues on the front page of every newspaper around the world: my will versus God's will.

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Seems so simple, put like that. Overly simplistic, but that's all it is. One simple conflict that explains every vice, every crime, and every secret shame humanity can create.

Pesky details aside, every psychological, spiritual, or emotional struggle comes down to that simple choice. Adam and Eve made their choice, and we can see what happened. And we each make that choice every day, the consequences lived out every moment thereafter.

"But wait a minute," you say. "It's not that simple. There are things I desperately need! Goals and desires I have that are important to me. Without them, I'll be miserable. Surely God wants me to be happy!"

So, are you happy? Every poll taken illustrates that the most prosperous nation in history is also the most unhappy and unfulfilled. In an age where achieving our every dream is more possible than it has ever been, shouldn't we all be delirious with joy? Shouldn't peace, contentment, and emotional fulfillment captivate us all?

Instead we have a drug and addiction epidemic and suicide rates skyrocketing. Something's amiss, wouldn't you say? If being my own boss brought ultimate fulfillment, we'd all be ecstatic. Clearly, it doesn't.

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God loves opposites. He uses weak things to defeat the strong, foolish things to confound the wise. And he uses the Battle of the Wills to bring us the peace we all crave, but it usually takes most of us a long time to catch on.

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There is no freedom until my will is lost in God's. There is no peace until my desires are His desires. There is no joy until my only joy is in bringing Him pleasure.

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Another paradox, but there it is. Truth. Opposite from what we'd expect, but solid and real. You willl never know victory until you let Him win the battle.

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