Over the last three years, I’ve come to realize that we’re not in control of much of anything.
“I’m in control of my own destiny!” you exclaim defiantly. “I only do what I want to do!”
But that’s only partially true. One could argue that nobody can force you to do anything, but that’s not true either. They can make your life miserable to the point where you’ll do anything to make it stop. (Side note: this is called torture.)
I’m not talking about Free Will or The Matrix- I’m talking about autonomy.
How much of what we do is “allowed” and how much of it is “free?” If you’re in control of your own actions, but have to change or limit what you do under threat of force, are you really free?
Here’s the thing though: You wouldn’t want to be completely free. There are things about life that you need hard limits on. And more importantly, you wouldn’t want everyone around you to be completely unhinged, either. What would stop someone from shooting you just because they felt like it? No, there has to be at least some level of order in the world, and in your life.
But how do we combine autonomy and order? In an ideal world, everyone is logical and orderly, and pure autonomy would result in an orderly civilization. But as you well know, this isn’t remotely the case.
In my life, I want autonomy- but I’m also wildly chaotic. What this usually ends up looking like is me saying “I want to do it my own way!” and then flailing around like a fish out of water, because I can’t organize my own thoughts.
Autonomous, But Why?
When God created humans, he made us with a certain level of free will, a.k.a. autonomy. By and large, this hasn’t worked out well for us, and is considered by many to be a Bad Idea. (Thanks, Douglas Adams.)
But more importantly, where are the limits of this “free will” and where does obedience to God fit in? Does God give us free will, only to snatch it away again in spite?
Of course not. But if that’s the case, why does God give us free will in the first place?
The simplest answer: Because God loves us. I desperately want my children to become self-sufficient. That does mean sometimes, they disobey, and there’s usually disciplinary consequences for it. Do we discipline our children so that they’ll obey us for life? No exactly. We do it only long enough for them to learn why we give them instructions and correction. The end goal isn’t to get them to obey- the end goal is to teach them how to make the right decisions on their own. Sometimes this means we exaggerate the consequences so they’ll get the point.
Why God Disciplines Us
This is why we do it. We want the children to eventually grow and learn to the point where I no longer have to worry about them being run over by a car, or burning themselves on a hot stove, or taking a job that would be detrimental to them long-term.
God gives us free will with the expectation that we have to learn from Him what we’re supposed to do, otherwise it’s wasted.
And what is the point of it all? Why would God expect us to do what He says?
Simply put, God cares about His creation- i.e. the human race. He cares enough that he made a way for us to reconcile with Him. Not because He needed to- but because He _wanted_ to. He wanted to redeem us- something that we couldn’t do on our own. And He isn’t going to force us, but it’s there if we want it.
Don’t Reject God’s Authority
Once you understand that God’s authority in our lives is for our own good, you begin to understand that “free will” isn’t an open-ended excuse to fulfil our most base desires. It’s an open door, an opportunity to accept or reject what God has in store for us. If you reject it, that’s your own Free Will. If you accept it, that’s also your Free Will.
Nobody is truly calling all the shots in their own life. Free Will is simply the ability to accept or reject God’s reality in your life. And if you reject it, you’re then subject to the world’s demands on your life, not God’s. You’re going to obey something, either way.
Make the right choice.