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I remember when I had no concept of free will. As a child, we don’t have much freedom to use it, at least not the way we wanted to without consequences. Now as an adult, everything is up to us—for the most part. Everyday we’re faced with decisions to make. And to be honest, sometimes I want to do things that don’t necessarily yield the best results. I’m free to do them, but should I? I’m learning that just because I CAN do something doesn’t mean that I SHOULD. Often times real freedom lies in the power to say, ‘no.’
It’s human nature to blame someone for the choices we’ve made—mainly the bad ones and I was one to blame God for everything. If something good happened, praise God. If something bad happened, well, I guess it was all in God’s plan. But our free will was given to us by God and, just like when we were children growing up, there’s a consequence for every action. The choices I make will affect my future in some way not by chance but because of a decision I made. If I choose to overeat and not workout, I will reap the consequences of what overeating does to a person. If I choose to never put gas in my car, it will not drive.
When we don’t have an understanding of free will we can be quick to blame others and even blame God. But I’ve learned that God is not to blame. In fact, I don’t have the right to blame God or anyone else for that matter. If the decisions I made were my choice then it falls on me, not anyone else. If the decisions I made didn’t line up with the plan of God, then it falls on me, not on God. The plan of God is found in His word, not in the circumstances of our lives nor in the consequences of our decisions.
We find in His word what He wills—what He’s for—and what He is not for. We also find it written that He has given us the power to choose, “I set before you life and death, therefore CHOOSE life…” (Deuteronomy 30:19) God isn’t telling us to choose life, He’s giving us the choice to choose life. In fact, it’s His desire that we choose life, but again, it’s a choice. It’s our choice. He also lays out the consequences for each choice. If we choose life, we and our descendants shall live. But if we choose death, the opposite is true—death. That’s not necessarily physical death, it’s spiritual death. But I won’t get into that today. 😉
There is a consequence for every action. Every person has been given a free will—the power to choose. Our choices are not in God’s control, most especially when we choose things that are out of His will. Every day we are presented with the opportunity to choose life or death. We can choose life and reap the benefits of that choice or we can choose death but…ultimately, the choice is OURs, the choice is YOURS, the choice is MINE. Which will you choose?
Be Encouraged:
Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! (Deuteronomy 30:19)
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (Philippians 2:13)