As an English teacher of several years, there have been many times in class where we have discussed controversial topics and written persuasive essays or speeches arguing either for or against different stances. One time in a college class, we discussed whether or not there should be a thing called fat tax. This is basically a tax that the government imposes on those foods that are deemed unhealthy, so as to discourage people from eating them. Around the time of this discussion, New York had decided to try to ban large sodas because they weren't healthy (which was fortunately rejected as outside of their jurisdiction). My student argued that these things were actually good and should occur because unhealthy, overweight people became a burden on society. And many in the class had no answer to this. Ironically, it is this kind of thinking that truly sets us all back years and years into immaturity. What is being said is that we are too stupid to make good choices for ourselves and must have the smarter people (ie government officials etc) to make these decisions for us. And with this mindset, we kiss our freedom goodbye.
I myself might not even have recognized this trend if God hadn't taken it upon Himself to start teaching me several years ago about the true meaning of freedom. One of these ways was by having me become a mother. It didn't take long into my mothering career that I realized how important it is for my children to understand the basic fact that their choices have consequences. If they choose to obey--good consequences. If they choose to disobey--negative consequences. If they choose to go to sleep when Mommy puts them to bed, they awake in the morning refreshed and ready for the day. If they keep getting out and playing, they get disciplined and find themselves feeling not so great the next day. Very, very simple.
And, yet, with the trend in America to take away the consequences of choices (or sometimes the very choice itself), we find ourselves left with a group of people who no longer have the skills or even the inclination to make a choice while keeping in mind the consequences that might result from this. This is so very dangerous on so many levels. We will have a country of children who have never grown up or learned the basic truth that our choices affect our lives. We become a group of people who always think that the problems in our lives are the result of other people (and never ourselves).
And, as horrifying as this is in our current finite lives, the result of this kind of thinking is even more precarious as we consider our spiritual lives. If we truly believe our choices don't have consequences, why would we ever consider how the choices we make now might affect what happens after this life has passed. The Gospel is a choice. A choice that can be rejected, but a choice that has consequences like all real things in our world. Because God values our freedom, He will not make this choice for us. No one will be forced into heaven and God's presence who does not want it and ask for it.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
Our job as Christians is absolutely simple: we just have to explain the choice in the clearest way possible so that people (with all of the information) can accept or reject the Gospel. We don't have to make it pretty or exciting. We just have to make it clear.
My prayer:
Lord, I do pray right now that you will help us all become mature in the understanding our great liberty. We get to choose. Even in the garden, you demonstrated your love of liberty by allowing Adam and Eve the choice to accept or reject you. As parents, help us teach our kids that their choices have consequences, so that when they grow up, they know how to think for themselves and to make choices that are a blessing and not a curse. And, finally, Lord empower us with your Holy Spirit to speak the truth so clearly that people can understand the message of the Gospel without the confusion of religious language.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
