As Christians, we believe things happen for a reason. But do we see
each of those things as something that happens to us, helpless pawns in a
cosmic game, or do see them as the choices we make and the consequences
of those choices? We are taught that God gives us free will, but we are
also taught that God, our Omniscient Father, knows every detail of our
lives, past, present, future. If God knows our actions before we commit
them, are we really free to choose? Are we making choices and decisions,
or are we forced into a course of action because things are “just meant
to be,” predetermined by God’s knowledge and foreknowledge of our
lives? How do we reconcile these notions?
God gives us
free will, and though He wants us to choose the things that will bring
us ultimate and eternal happiness, we aren’t forced into doing so. God,
in His omnipotence, could keep us from making choices that are harmful
to ourselves or those around us. Doing so, however, would make us
slaves, and that is contrary to the teaching that Christ has come to set
us free. Instead of forcing us into doing something, God gives us the
resources we need to make good choices and to be set free.
Happiness,
virtue, health, relationships, life: It seems to me that each is a
choice, though some in ways less evident than others. It is fairly
simple to see how one chooses to exercise virtue in his or her life,
whether it is choosing not to have a second slice of cake out of
self-control or choosing to do acts of service out of charity.
Identifying things like health or happiness as choices, however, may not
always be as obvious. Perhaps we are inclined to consider those as
things dictated by our station in life, our responsibilities or job, our
genetic makeup, or some other outside source. Even if we consider
things beyond our control, we still have the ability to choose how we
let them affect us.
There are countless manifestations
of choice in our lives, whether they are those things for which we have
directly and consciously opted or are the reflections of those choices.
Over the course of a day, each of us makes numerous choices, and each of
our choices shapes and defines us. Beginning with the alarm going off
in the morning, we are faced with choices we must make. Some may be
small choices – do I get out of bed and take on the new day, or do I hit
snooze and sleep for seven more minutes? Other choices are more weighty
– do I go to work and do my duty so that I may be paid and fulfill my
financial responsibilities, or do I not show up and go golfing instead? A
clear case of cause and effect, choices carry consequences with them.
It is often these consequences which prevent us from seeing choices as
something we are free to make. If we feel
forced to make a choice out of fear or coercion, how are we really choosing it?
While
fear of one kind or another may influence our choices, the choices
nonetheless remain ours to make. We are given both the freedom and the
ability to consider an action and its related consequences. In doing so,
we are exercising reason and free will. Even if our evaluations are
only partial, our choices are directed by them. This exercise of both
reason and free will should challenge us daily, as these are two of the
qualities of man that set us apart as God’s highest creation.
If
we never realize our potential, the choices we make will reflect that.
We may more readily settle into the mold of what is familiar or what
society expects of us, even if it is uncomfortable. On the other hand,
if we choose to challenge ourselves and consider the results of our
actions, we may find it more manageable to make choices in our lives
which will help or allow us to live fully as God intends.
Right
choices are not necessarily easy choices to make, but we can rest in
the assurance that God’s help is available to us if we but ask Him. I
challenge you to look at the choices in your life, celebrate them, and
find happiness in them. “I have set before you life and death, blessings
and the curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may
live.” (Deuteronomy 30.19)
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