Free Will

My husband and I were having a conversation. He remarked about some of the younger generation who choose not to serve the Lord. They like to do the things they want to do and as a result of all the external input from media and school there seem to be so many choices open to them. I also think that even though it sometimes appears as if they have no interest in the things of God, Christians and churches are failing them. Young people today won’t pretend to believe something just to make people happy. Most of them say what they feel. Whatever the reason, I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I wish I had the boldness in my younger years to speak my mind. God knows everything, sees everything, hears everything, so why do we have to sugar coat what we say?
Psalm 139:1-6 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
These thoughts are enormous. God knows what I’m going to say even before I say it. There’s nothing about me He doesn’t know. Yet, I am not a puppet and I have free will.
John 7:16-18 (Msg) Jesus said, “I didn’t make this up. What I teach comes from the One who sent me. Anyone who wants to do his will can test this teaching and know whether it’s from God or whether I’m making it up. A person making things up tries to make himself look good. But someone trying to honor the one who sent him sticks to the facts and doesn’t tamper with reality.
Joshua 24:15 And if it seems evil to your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Each one of us has been given free will to choose the way we want to take. We aren’t bound or obliged to do what our parents did, or to follow the popular crowd. We might think that the opinions of others matter, and they often do, but God’s opinion is the one that ultimately matters above all others.
Isaiah 51:12 I, I am He who comforts you;
who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,
of the son of man who is made like grass,…
Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
This is so true. Why should I have any fear at all of people’s opinions, judgements or anger? God can make me into dust in the blink of an eye if He so pleases. He made the whole universe, every little grain of sand and speck of dust. The sun, the moon and the stars. He didn’t just accidentally stumble on this solar system and decide to take control of it, He made it, from scratch. If we who call ourselves believers would acknowledge God more often in public, without trying to preach or pretend to be holier than we really are, the young people might sit up and take notice. If we use less, “thou shalt not’s” and show more love then we might grab the attention of more of the youth. How often haven’t I heard that they say church is boring. And I’m inclined to agree a lot of the time. Are we living out our faith in plain sight or are we hiding our light under a basket? (Matthew 5:15) Are we willing to put our faith under scrutiny of the light of Christ or do we want to play it safe and rather not say too much because we might give offence? Is Jesus a part of out everyday language? Is the bible our handbook for living? Or do we read it in secret and let the world dictate the way we live. The only way unbelievers will see what it looks like to follow Jesus is by looking at us.
John 15:20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
We need to tell the truth as we see it with boldness. And if we are going to have to suffer because we follow Jesus, then just maybe we will have to, and just maybe it’s going to be worth it.