As Christians, people often find it difficult to form righteous patterns of behavior, as their desires and emotions can interfere with this. Willard (2021) considers complete submission of the will to God as the way to eliminate this inner confrontation. The author underlines that all people have their own will, but only one that is aligned with God’s will is fully functional. Total submission of the will allows people to behave in the right way without facing the conflict in their personality. When a person’s will coincides with the will of God, righteous behavior is the only natural choice.
The view of the total submission as the only right option seems rather logical. When a person does not have the will to commit unrighteous deeds, the desire for earthly temptations disappears, which also leads to the elimination of discomfort. However, Willard (2021) does not focus on how a person can develop this total submission to the will of God. I think that this take on the will is problematic since it is impossible to completely get rid of personal desires and feelings. God has no inclination to earthly temptations as people, so his will is not subject to them. This submission is the ultimate goal for the Christian and marks the attainment of righteousness, in my opinion.
These ideas can be implemented in counseling rooms to explain to clients that the confrontation within the personalities can be due to earthly temptations. I would not insist that a person needs to completely subordinate his will to the will of God. However, I would talk about how embracing more righteous behavior can lead to getting rid of inner conflict. The gradual abandonment of the dominance of emotions and desires in favor of the will of God can be the starting point for the development of a stronger personality.
References
Willard, D. (2021). Renovation of the heart: Putting on the character of Christ. NavPress.