God created us with a free will. I've learned that He does not force me to do anything. He longs for me to obey Him but He never forces me. I have the ability to choose the things I want to do, pursue, develop, etc. When I spend time talking with God during my prayer time and reading the Bible, I constantly ask Him to show me things. I ask Him to show me how to make the right decisions and think the right way and do the right things. Sheesh, this does not come easy though.
God reminded me in Deuteronomy 30:15, 19 that He sets before me today LIFE and PROSPERITY or DEATH and DESTRUCTION....and LIFE and DEATH.....and BLESSINGS and CURSES. God gives me choices! Of course I want to make the right choices but because of my sinful nature, I don't always do this. I have to pursue God and understand what is best for me and learn what pleases Him (Ephesians 5:10) before I can really make the right, wise choices. (Making wise choices has never come naturally). I have learned that I need to deliberately put God first in my life, love God more than my sinful ways, and choose to use my "free will" in a godly way! I do this by meditating on what God did for me, how much He loves me (providing a Savior so that I could live with Him in heaven forever), and reading His "love letter" (Bible) to me. Reading the Bible offers so much and yet for so many years I neglected to read it. I totally missed out! Now I exercise my "free will" and read and study every word because it brings life to my weary bones, adds strength to my weakened heart, renews my exhausted mind, and offers inexpressible serenity. Why did I wait so long to figure this out? I needed to use the "free will" that God gave me to put HIM first! When I seek Him before anything else, life just works right!
I just prayed right now that as you read this, you would use your free will to put God first in your life.
God reminded me in Deuteronomy 30:15, 19 that He sets before me today LIFE and PROSPERITY or DEATH and DESTRUCTION....and LIFE and DEATH.....and BLESSINGS and CURSES. God gives me choices! Of course I want to make the right choices but because of my sinful nature, I don't always do this. I have to pursue God and understand what is best for me and learn what pleases Him (Ephesians 5:10) before I can really make the right, wise choices. (Making wise choices has never come naturally). I have learned that I need to deliberately put God first in my life, love God more than my sinful ways, and choose to use my "free will" in a godly way! I do this by meditating on what God did for me, how much He loves me (providing a Savior so that I could live with Him in heaven forever), and reading His "love letter" (Bible) to me. Reading the Bible offers so much and yet for so many years I neglected to read it. I totally missed out! Now I exercise my "free will" and read and study every word because it brings life to my weary bones, adds strength to my weakened heart, renews my exhausted mind, and offers inexpressible serenity. Why did I wait so long to figure this out? I needed to use the "free will" that God gave me to put HIM first! When I seek Him before anything else, life just works right!
I just prayed right now that as you read this, you would use your free will to put God first in your life.