But consider this: In Genesis 1:26....God says.... "and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth". Then in verse 28... "and subdue it: and have dominion". Then go to Deuteronomy 30:19...."that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." If we believe God is engineering our life, molding us into something He wants, why would he have given us the choice to do what we want? People have heard this phrase for so many years and think they don't have to do anything because God is in control! They use that as an excuse to live a mediocre life and hide in the church all their lives. And these people feel they are being spiritual because they are allowing God to "be in control".
God did not make us to be robots. He gave us a mind to use and the power to choose. We were given the responsibility to choose and then the results were there. Sometimes we don't like the results but it is the natural outcome of our choices. God actually trusted us with choices but He gave us Jesus to show us how to live and how to make the right choices. We know that God IS in control of the entire universe in an overall sense. He is over all but it is amazing to think that He gave to us the ability to choose for ourselves.
Sometimes people feel it is easier to follow rules than be responsible and make right choices. But to God relationship with Him is what counts. The closer we get into relationship the more we trust God. Any relationship that has trust involved takes time to develop to warrant the trust. God is no different. When we have fear, worry, and are overly concerned about the future, is that an indication that our relationship with God isn't established enough to trust Him? Are we just saying and doing the "right" things?
I grew up in a Christian family and we learned all the do's and don'ts, the list of acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. It was all done believing it was the right thing to do and of course most parents followed this pattern in raising their children. As the years went on I began to think about how I raised my kids. Did I teach them to be "good", to mind me, to avoid punishment, to do all the right things and avoid the wrong, to learn a way of behavior, or did I teach them to love God with their whole being and to be individually responsible to God to learn what was right for them.
You can teach children almost anything since they are pliable and able to learn. But with the church teaching the set of rules to obey, all we have to do is abide by that and don't take seriously our personal relationship with God. We feel we are doing okay because we are doing all the rules right. However, we need to know ourselves how God wants us to live and what to do or not do. My parents were doing what they learned and had the best of motives and I am SO thankful for my Christian heritage that it sometimes overwhelms me. But there are things I could have done as I grew up that would not have been wrong. The Bible advocates moderation. Would this have been a better way to have been taught: "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." I believe personal responsibility is what is needed. Rules are to be broken while choices keep us responsible.
Many years ago I was under the impression that I should be "called" to something special, to do a work for the Lord, and I didn't know what it was and struggled to find out. Finally I came to realize that what God wants for us is to live a simple life, and BE a witness wherever we go. I read a quote the other day that was pretty good. "Evangelism exists because worship doesn't". If we develop that relationship that God wants with us, people will be coming to us!! And our choices will be the right ones!
