Free Will / The Gift of...........

Think of the many gifts Almighty God gives to us. There are so many, both great and small, that to enumerate them may become arduous to say the least. All are very significant, even if some appear to be insignificant by human standards. However, when we take the time to reflect on each one the significance of their presence becomes eye opening and important to assist us in our needs.

In a theological sense we must become aware of the Spirit’s involvement in our life and the manner He brings so much in the way of grace into the presence of our existence. I like to see grace as a vehicle to guide us to God with different aspects of spirit-guided provisions placing that wonderful way to arrive into the unseen and divine.

Faith and Grace work in concert, each in its own unique way, yet they both rely on the presence of the other to shed light and reason in our faith journey. Without Faith we cannot really accept or understand the factor of Grace given us so freely from God. I can never say enough about Grace and how valuable it is providing each soul the greatest vehicle to reach God, through Jesus Christ, and infused within us by the Holy Spirit.

But, to my way of thinking, the gift of Free Will is perhaps the greatest gift God has given to us. One may ask why, since Faith is so important and Sanctifying Grace, given us at Baptism, is essential for spiritual life and the unifying means of living with Christ.

Some may not like the fact that God allows evil to exist and wish He would eradicate the bad things in our life and create all the goodness promised for us, now. Suppose the Lord guided our actions as a puppeteer, creating all we need without us ever raising a hand to help ourselves, or never falling into spiritual trouble. What a life that would be; walking the path of life with a guardian at our side and directing our every step. That isn’t to say we don’t have a guardian with us, but it is our free-will that this is about. Consider this; a parent wants his child to get through life without working for a new car, having lots of money to spend as they want, and not having to answer responsibly for any transgressions. If trouble arises don’t worry, dad will take care of it.

He won’t appreciate the things he has been given. How much respect will that young person have for his father and when will he stand on his own in life? There are many instances when a person who has not learned to respect what he has can never have respect for himself. The worst problem is he will not really respect or have a deep attachment to the father who never taught his child to learn respect and real understanding of his position in life.

God wishes us to share His Love and Life with Him in eternity. But, if we are given this without any effort on our own we will not appreciate that wonderful life. The only way to have understanding and appreciation for this new life is to come freely to God. Free Will is a gift given to us in order to come to God of our own desire, want, and yearning for Him. If we didn’t need to come freely to God, the Faith and Grace won’t be any help. Without Free Will we could never share what and who God is.

Free will has its bad side only if it is used to block God’s Presence and His effort to reach us. God has given us faith and then grace is nurtured within our spiritual journey. When a person is in spiritual trouble our prayers are crucial, but God won’t interfere with a person’s free-will. That is the paradox of this gift; it was given to us in order to reach God freely through Faith and Grace. But, if we use it to go our own way, God cannot reach us. We block His way. He wants to reach us but will not remove the gift of free will He so freely gave to us.