Oct 28 2009
The Purpose of Free Will
As a culture, we are very pleasure seeking. We know what we like and what we want, and we like to get what we want. So when we want something that maybe isn’t the best thing for us, we try to justify it. One of the main excuses I hear is “God gave us free will, so I can do what I want. God wants me to be happy.”
In case I’m missing something, where does it say in the Bible that we can do what makes us happy, even if it goes against God’s teaching?
God did give us free will; that much is true. Everything we do is a choice. We choose what we do and what we say. But what is God’s purpose of free will? Did He just give us free will to keep things from being too boring? Did He give us free will for His entertainment? (No, I don’t believe that God laughs at us, I’m just using this as an example since there are many people who DO believe this.) Did He give us free will so we can just do what we want, when we want, whatever makes us happy?
NO!
Galations 5:13 tells us clearly what the purpose of free will is!
“13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ” (NKJV)
The NIV words it this way:
“13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature[a]; rather, serve one another in love.”
We do not have freedom to use on ourselves, for our own fleshly desires. We have freedom of choice, because we are called to serve others. Remember, the greatest commandment is to love our God, and to love each other. Love is a choice! And to show others that we are choosing to love them, we are called to serve them!
Matthew 20:28 reminds us that Jesus, the King of kings, did not come to be served, but to serve! And we are called to do the same.
Notice at the end of Galations 5:13, it specifies that we are to serve in LOVE. God doesn’t want us to serve grudginly. He wants us to serve because we are loving the other person, not out of duty. Remember, love is a choice. Even if we’re angry at the person, we can choose to love them through our actions. What would Jesus do? He loved those who beat and killed him! He understood to the full extent what it meant to love those who hated him.
Our free will wasn’t given to us so that we could fulfill our flesh. Yes, God wants us to be happy. But happiness on earth isn’t our purpose in life. Our purpose to life is to get closer to God, and loving others comes naturally with this. Serving others comes naturally with love.
One might say, “You want me to love my enemy, and I have to serve them too?!” But that’s missing the point. Service comes with the love naturally. So love each other, and serve each other.
And what about your needs? If you spend all your time serving others, what if they don’t serve you back and your own needs get neglected?
Take your needs to the God of Heaven and Earth! He imagined and created the mountains and the canyons. The stars and the suns and the planets. He knows you, and he knows what you need.
God will take care of you.
