God Part II
Over the past few months I have hit on most spiritual topics that at least create some thought. My opinions at times have not been popular while other times people seem to identify with what I write. There was a time not to long ago that I wrote to be popular and for some reason that may have felt good to others but something was missing to me. Now I simply write from my heart and mind. Yesterday I was talking to a friend that had read one of my reflections about free will and life is either by chance or God directed. After that brief conversation my mind went into the unknown realm of self spiritual discovery.
The great spiritual author Fulton Sheen wrote this about free will, "if you believe in free will then you cannot shake the responsibility of it". He went on to say, "you cannot disown the evil by disowning that which makes it possible, namely, free will".
So what do you think about this controversial topic? Oh wait this is my reflection which means you get to hear my opinion. If God created us all with free will then were does chance encounters come from? Where do the so called miracles of faith come from? I find that to be a really fascinating thing to think about especially when people from all walks of life experience the so called miracles. You know the proverbial bad guy that lives his life with total disregard for human feelings yet he experiences the life altering miracle that makes him a believer. Flip that around to the person that literally walks by faith and not by sight yet is struck down by some illness or random event. We explain that one as God needed them in heaven.
I still in my finite brain believe that free will and God encounters can exist together. Why do I believe that, well because I believe in God. I cannot explain it but the cool thing is no one else can either. Our road map for living a wholesome life is the written Word called the Bible. Understand though that Bible believing Christians and non Christians do not make up the majority of God believers. Regardless we as Christians say that the Bible is all we need. I also find that rather amusing at times because few live by what they say they believe.
Most people consider themselves law abiding citizens which by the way is an act of free will. I would dare say most people at their place of employment also work by a set of rules, again that is guided by our free will. We understand rules and laws yet when we talk about life rules from the Bible it is merely words and little action. Go ahead look at your own life. Do you follow the word to the tee or do you explain it away as we are fallen humans in constant need of forgiveness.
The point I am making is we truly do live by free will. We choose our actions. Sure there are times that we have to react to that which is happening around us but that is a small percentage of life. Most of our life is by choice and that comes with prior thought before an action occurs. That leads me to the final point, does God have control of our lives? The answer is simple yes and no. The yes is the obvious God is God which means he can have all the control or no control. The no is we are taught that we were given minds, hearts, soul, eyes, and ears to guide us in this life. With that the ole free will comes back into play. God created this playground we find ourselves in and we created the toys to play with.
I think where God guides is our moral compass and he resides inside of us and provides that conscience that moves our thoughts toward or away from our actions. See God can direct us by providing us conscience thoughts that makes turn here or go back or go forward. Those thoughts that stir in our heads create those so called God winks or chance encounters. It is God working in and through us. Sometimes that free will ignores the obvious because we have allowed our minds to get so cluttered with junk that we miss the message.
There you have it. My little opinion of free will and God encounters. Thanks to all that wrote to me about this topic. There will never be an answer so let's keep living a life filled with peace and love while we continue on this awesome journey of faith.
peace to you
Dale
The great spiritual author Fulton Sheen wrote this about free will, "if you believe in free will then you cannot shake the responsibility of it". He went on to say, "you cannot disown the evil by disowning that which makes it possible, namely, free will".
So what do you think about this controversial topic? Oh wait this is my reflection which means you get to hear my opinion. If God created us all with free will then were does chance encounters come from? Where do the so called miracles of faith come from? I find that to be a really fascinating thing to think about especially when people from all walks of life experience the so called miracles. You know the proverbial bad guy that lives his life with total disregard for human feelings yet he experiences the life altering miracle that makes him a believer. Flip that around to the person that literally walks by faith and not by sight yet is struck down by some illness or random event. We explain that one as God needed them in heaven.
I still in my finite brain believe that free will and God encounters can exist together. Why do I believe that, well because I believe in God. I cannot explain it but the cool thing is no one else can either. Our road map for living a wholesome life is the written Word called the Bible. Understand though that Bible believing Christians and non Christians do not make up the majority of God believers. Regardless we as Christians say that the Bible is all we need. I also find that rather amusing at times because few live by what they say they believe.
Most people consider themselves law abiding citizens which by the way is an act of free will. I would dare say most people at their place of employment also work by a set of rules, again that is guided by our free will. We understand rules and laws yet when we talk about life rules from the Bible it is merely words and little action. Go ahead look at your own life. Do you follow the word to the tee or do you explain it away as we are fallen humans in constant need of forgiveness.
The point I am making is we truly do live by free will. We choose our actions. Sure there are times that we have to react to that which is happening around us but that is a small percentage of life. Most of our life is by choice and that comes with prior thought before an action occurs. That leads me to the final point, does God have control of our lives? The answer is simple yes and no. The yes is the obvious God is God which means he can have all the control or no control. The no is we are taught that we were given minds, hearts, soul, eyes, and ears to guide us in this life. With that the ole free will comes back into play. God created this playground we find ourselves in and we created the toys to play with.
I think where God guides is our moral compass and he resides inside of us and provides that conscience that moves our thoughts toward or away from our actions. See God can direct us by providing us conscience thoughts that makes turn here or go back or go forward. Those thoughts that stir in our heads create those so called God winks or chance encounters. It is God working in and through us. Sometimes that free will ignores the obvious because we have allowed our minds to get so cluttered with junk that we miss the message.
There you have it. My little opinion of free will and God encounters. Thanks to all that wrote to me about this topic. There will never be an answer so let's keep living a life filled with peace and love while we continue on this awesome journey of faith.
peace to you
Dale
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