Personal from Ministerial and Member Services
Freedom to Choose
It is good to be free! It is wonderful to be at liberty! My life has been one of freedom and liberty!
I have been free to grow up and develop as a person with very few externally-imposed restrictions.
Most of the restrictions I have experienced have been self-imposed ones. I chose to restrict myself. Even when working for and answering to another person—whether while working for a company or for the Church—restrictions were always self-imposed. I chose to yield to restrictions, rather than run the risk of being fired from my employment or paying lesser consequences for being unwilling to follow instructions.
The same has been true in my spiritual life concerning any restrictions God has placed upon me in His written Word. I have chosen to yield, or not, and have reaped both good and bad consequences for my choices.
We truly are free moral agents, given to choose our conduct freely.
I thank God that He has made human beings as free moral agents. That is real freedom!
God has promised blessings for obedience—for yielding to His restrictions and obeying His instructions, as we recognize His authority in our lives. He has also promised us curses if we choose to disobey Him and not yield to His instructions and His authority in our lives, and over our conduct and choices (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28).
In the present climate of fear and trepidation for some over the possible devastating consequences of contracting COVID-19 and with the tension over racial discrimination, we must face many choices relative to both of these issues.
I take this opportunity to caution you about carefully considering your choices concerning your actions and your words (verbal or written).
There are consequences of some sort for every choice we make. Will what we say or do reap a positive benefit for others and for you, personally? Will what we say or do help to defuse a tense situation, or will it only cause an escalation? Will what we say or do bring greater peace?
Jesus Christ taught us to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). He taught us to love our enemies and to pray for them (Matthew 5:43-44). He taught us to love one another at all times and that His disciples would be known by the love that they have for one another (John 13:34-35).
The apostles who followed Christ taught the same behavior for all of us as Christ's disciples today. Let us all consider, as we practice our freedom of choice—will our choice in what we say, write, or do bring greater peace and better understanding as disciples of Jesus Christ? If you have any doubt, it is likely best to wait and to pray for God's guidance and direction. What we choose to say, write, and do will make a difference to someone—of that you may be sure!
May you all have a wonderful Sabbath and weekend!
