His
Loving Don’ts
My son…let thine heart keep my
commandments…and peace shall they add to thee.
Proverbs 3:1, 2 KJV
It wasn’t hard to tell Hanna was
stressed over the choice she was facing. She really wanted to go on a
weekend trip with Reuben. “God’s commandments say, ‘Don’t do
this and don’t do that!’ I get sick of His constant control in my
life! He proclaims my free will, and all the while He’s forcing me
to abide by a set of rules He contrived to retain control of my
life!”
In light of Hanna’s frustration, Jen
was careful about phrasing her thoughts. “You know, Hanna,” she
began, “you can go if you want. God isn’t going to stop
you.”
“No, He won’t!” she countered.
“But He’ll make me miserable if I do go!”
“Is it really God who would be making
you miserable, or is this about you knowing it would be wrong to
spend the weekend with Reuben before your wedding?” Jen suggested.
“Spending the weekend in the
mountains is not a sin!” Hanna countered, rolling her eyes.
“No,” Jen said, “it’s not. But
can you tell me that you haven’t been entertaining certain thoughts
about what could happen if you go?” She softly added, “God
isn’t trying to control your life, Hanna. He’s trying to save you
a bunch of grief.”
“Grief my butt…” Hanna murmured.
“Maybe the reason you’re frustrated
is because it is your choice and you want God to make it for
you,” Jen volunteered. “That, my friend, is free will at its
finest.”
†
God is not a Control Freak, in need of
getting His way in our lives. He is, however, loving and considerate,
and His Spirit will most certainly quicken within us when harm,
through the possibility of wrong choices, threatens us.
When the frustrations of difficult
choices arise, He’s asking us to trust His wisdom and omniscience
so we can live in peace by submitting to the Spirit’s leading.
But…He’s giving us the choice. And believe it or not, that makes
some of us angry.
Prayer
“Sometimes free will
feels like a sentence rather than freedom, Lord. Help me always yield
to Your omniscience in the matters of my life, knowing You would
never allow me to make poor choices without Your Spirit suggesting I
re-think them. Amen.”
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