Free to Choose
Desperate people living desperate lives - it’s a scary thing to watch. Have you ever noticed how rational calm people, even deep thinkers can become warped by emotions so strong that they blind them?
Reason flees the scene of the soon to be committed crime. Every logical reason why not, every life long principle of right and wrong becomes confused, challenged and eventually discarded. These gatekeepers of our behaviour must be dismissed before we descend into desperate decisions and disruptive lives. It’s so easy a choice to make, and yet so hard a life to live.
In times of quite desperation, for even positive things like peace of mind or happiness, our longing seems to force us into the most drastic solutions. So how should we respond when faced with our own restless longing or the mixed up thinking and disruptive actions of others? Judgement doesn’t work, nor does criticism, ridicule or control.
So what does?
All I know is God watches my crazy moments respecting the gift of freedom of choice he gave me. Respects it enough to provide me with wise gentle counsel (yes, I’m talking about conscience here) it helps me to make my own best choice.
Sometimes I choose well and sometimes badly. But instead of I told you so’s and the scolding that I deserve he is equally gentle in helping me to heal from the bruises I give myself through these bad choices. He cares enough to tell me when I’m wrong. He cares enough to bear the pain of being with me even after I’ve been foolish.
Simply put, he cares. So maybe next time I watch someone who should “know better” doing their worse, I should try to be more like him and focus on caring and supporting their learning more and want immediate direct control a little less. It’s time for me to be more like Christ.
“Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.
Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. “
Galatians 6:1-3 (NLT)
"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you"
1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)