Choice Within God's Boundaries Part 1

How can we experience the most freedom and happiness?

As Americans, we’ve come to believe that if we have no limits, and if we have the ability to choose anything we want, we will have the most freedom and happiness. We think of freedom as something that qualifies us to choose whatever life we want to live with nary a consequence or concern.

This is pretty much the opposite of what the Bible says. God's Word says we are given freedom (from sin) which leads to holiness. The apostle Paul said when he was in chains, he was in peace. Galatians 5:13 puts it this way, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love."

God’s longing is for us to be in a personal, loving relationship with Him where we are conversing back and forth at all times. He created us so He could love us, not control us. However, there is some work we must do to cultivate that relationship with Him.

When God put the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden, He was giving Adam and Eve a choice. I used to think it was the choice whether or not to disobey. While this is true, I no longer consider it the primary motive. I believe He was giving them the choice whether or not to fully rely on Him. If God had wanted Adam and Eve to have the knowledge of good and evil, then He could have imparted that knowledge to them. He didn't have to count on the Tree to open their eyes. They must have wholly and thoroughly depended on God to tell them everything they needed to know. The trio regularly walked and talked together. God spoke and they listened. They asked and God answered. It was a beautiful and intimate connection.

By eating of the tree, Adam and Eve were essentially saying, “We don’t need to rely on you, God. We got this. We can make decisions or choices on our own without any help from you. We are trading the intimacy for independence.”

That attitude of independence is rampant today and most often looks more like indulgence. We end up enslaved to pleasing ourselves, which leads to chaos and shame. That’s precisely what happened with the first humans.

There is a common misconception that God will never give you more than you can handle. The Bible doesn’t actually say that. In fact, the Lord does allow way more than is comfortable to come upon us for the very reason to rely wholly on Him. We have to make tough decisions. Hard things happen. When we go outside of His care, we truly can’t do it on our own. When we eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, we are telling God we don’t need Him. Then we end up getting overwhelmed and we resent Him, as well as our circumstances, and we cry out in complaint, “God, why have you given me so much to handle? I can’t handle this!”

You see, God, Eve, and Adam lived in constant fellowship. This is the key to us having the freedom in our relationship with God to making right choices without sliding into selfishness, indulgence, and chaos. He has our best interest at heart. He is not keen on controlling our every move. He allows us to use our God-given right to exercise our own judgment and caution to the best of our capabilities. Sometimes we choose poorly, but God is not glaring down from Heaven, angry and ready to smite us when we get it wrong. He is patient and good, even when He disciplines us.

With the foundation of that marvelous friendship, God can let us in on what He’s doing and where He’s working. He can give us specific instructions or allow us to make choices, just like He did with Adam and Eve.

So if we desperately want to remain in paradise with our Creator, what is the work we must do? We must be 100% devoted to the relationship. We need to study His Word to get to know His ways and how He thinks. We must be willing to obediently do whatever He tells us to do through His Word and the Holy Spirit. And in humility, we should ask Him if He has anything He wants to tell us about how we are operating in life.

In this way, by remaining in His boundaries and choosing what would most please Him, we will experience more and freedom and happiness than American liberties, variety of choice, or any other source can ever give.