Choices

If I have learned nothing else in my life so far, it is that life is about choice.  And God, from the very beginning gave each and everyone of us free choice, a free will.

Unfortunately, in many cases, we as sinful humans have made bad choices, wrong choices, some with devastating effects for ourselves, for our families, for our human race.

No amount of laws or restrictions or rules will ever alleviate our human capacity for being sinful.  Our root of human sinfulness started with Adam and Eve and will be with us until Jesus returns.

We are studying in our catechism class the choice our original parents made, Adam and Eve.  God made a covenant with them "Do not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and you will live forever."  And what did they do?  They broke the very first covenant with God and ate the apple.  Hence sin and depravity and evil entered into our world.

I asked myself "Well if God knows everything that is going to happen, why did it have to happen?"  My answer, not being a theological student by any stretch was "God wants us to obey Him because we love Him.  Not because we are a bunch of rule followers.  He wants us to choose to love Him."

He could have created us to automatically love Him and obey Him but that just doesn't seem as genuine, as real, as a love that is chosen.  Obedience that is chosen.  If I forced my children to love me and obey me, I suppose I would get some satisfaction from that.  But, if they choose to love me, choose to obey me, how much more glorious and wonderful and fulfilling.  I know I enjoy the freedom of choice and the blessing it brings.  And sometimes it heartaches.

In light of recent events, we as a population get caught up in they why things happen.  And make excuses and reasons.  We need to have answers that make sense or make us feel better.  We live in a sinful, depravity filled world.  Where people choose not to live for God.  No amount of rules, laws, regulations will ever stop the evil in this world.

It is scary, unfortunate and troublesome.  All that I feel I can do is my best to love God and others, minister to those who need it,  pray, immerse myself in the word of God, listen to God's will for my life, make choices that are pleasing to God, share with my children and others that God puts in my path the wondrous love of Christ and know, that as a believer, I will spend eternity in a sinless, perfect Heaven . . .