Take My Life…

Direction Signs

To walk out of God’s will is to step into nowhere. – CS Lewis

We are taught from an early age the importance of free will and our ‘right to choose’.  But, once you have accepted Christ into your heart things start changing, and for the better.  There soon comes a time when you no longer are burdened with ‘choosing’.  Rather, it is as if these choices begin to be made for you – made with apparently little of your effort yet still in harmony with your intent.   Decisions that you once battled over before giving yourself over to Christ become fewer and less stressful.  Let me explain.

When we are confronted with most moral decisions, we normally know what the right thing to do would be.  However, what makes the decision difficult is some potential inconvenience or insecurity that prevents us from doing it.  Now, once Christ comes into your heart, you get to that point where you just ‘know too much’ to allow inconvenience or insecurity to serve as a reason for not doing the right thing.  These are never again valid justifications once you begin to see the depth of the love, the depth of the sacrifice that was made for you, and the size of the unmerited gift presented to us by our Heavenly Father.  You may even become embarrassed by your prior attempts at wiggling out of some opportunity to step up and answer God’s calling.

Recently, I caught myself saying, “I have no choice, I need to do this.”, whereas in the past I had convinced myself otherwise.  I no longer felt that there was a choice to be made – sort of like breathing or blinking.  This is the point where God’s will becomes your will.  And when you put some thought into it, isn’t that the ultimate expression of free will: to submit your own self-centered will to that of God’s?  God allowing us to try and try again, thinking that we know best and then one glorious day the light bulb goes off and you find yourself singing:

‘…Take my heart and form it.  Take my mind transform it.  Take my will conform it…to Yours, to Yours, oh Lord…’

So, what is God’s will for us – is it happiness, success, peace, comfort, good health, marriage, children?  Well that would be nice, but if you check scripture you get to what God really wants from us and for us.  Here it is simply stated in Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

Do that and you’ll find yourself ‘making’ decisions less and less each day.

5 thoughts on “Take My Life…

  1. Is free will and the ability to choose the same thing?
    Being created, born in sin, our genetic make up, parents….just when do we acquire this free will?
    Choices, yes.
    Free will, no.

    Leaves are turning
    Bryan

    • I think you’re entering the slippery land of semantics, but let’s say that you are correct in separating the two. I would still pose the question, ‘Is not my decision through the exercise of free will to make Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior and to believe that He is the Son of God?’ I’m feeling that is this may be the only application of free will that God intended when He created us…and maybe the only one He considered since it’s the only choice that really matters when discussing eternity…RT

      • “….land of semantics,…”
        Free will- controlled and acting purely out of ones own thoughts and desires without error in understanding or in the execution. God has free will.
        Choice (for man)- Filtered through a million past experiences all with some or total error in understanding. Acting always in part or whole out of ignorance….and sin (to miss the mark). I choose Satan because he has more fun (stupid)….leads to heart ache. Ok I’ll try a little god and a little worldliness….emptiness. A lot of religion….shallow..white washed to tombs. Dear God! “take my life”!!!
        John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws (drags) them…”
        We make choices but it is God’s will that will be done (not ours) in us all eventually. When lessons are learned and understanding comes and rebellion is seen for what it is, a barrier to peace, joy… God. When that day comes we bow and confess (as everyone will ) that Jesus Christ is lord to the glory of the Father.
        JUST AS GOD PLANNED AND THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO TO STOP IT FROM HAPPENING…it’s just a matter of time.
        Do we have free will? Thank God no. Free will throws most in Hell. God saves all! That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe 1 Tim 4:10
        Do we make choices? That’s how God teaches us.

        Sun is coming up, time for bed 🙂
        Bryan

        • Bryan – been out of touch for a while – but have been reading and thinking about your post. So, it sounds like it is less like free will – the same free will that God exercises -and more like choosing not to fight what is has already been determined for each of us. So why not go willingly now and reap the benefits of living now the way we were intended to, instead of deciding later in life and suffering the grief that comes with trying to find a more self gratifying way? Or is that oversimplifying it?

          • “Or is that oversimplifying it?”
            The more simple the better!
            Yes you’ve described 1 Tim 4:10 well.
            ….savior of all people, and “especially”…. The “especially” portion is for those who except Jesus now and “reap the benefits” (as you said). I think also a part of that benefit maybe to reign with Christ in the next age (the first resurrection).

            I liked your “The Key to the Kingdom” post.

            No moon tonight makes for bright stars.
            Bryan

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