Free will

What is free will? The dictionary defines free will as “the ability to act at one's own discretion.” God demonstrates His love by giving all people free will. How is this?

I was watching a show on Thursday night. In the show a person who was an alcoholic but was sober now for a few years attend something like a church meeting. As he sat there, he heard a woman’s battle with alcoholism. She mentioned how she walked by a bar that had a posting inviting AA members to trade their chips for a drink. The man enters the bar and sits before trashing it. He does so because he is disgusted by what the owner was doing. The owner makes a point as the man breaks the alcohol bottles. Everyone has a choice. That statement stayed with me.

As I sat with my friends inside the movie theater and watched a movie, I was convicted. Not long into the movie, I realized the movie was garbage, but I still stayed. In the movie the AA chips were mentioned, I leaned over and began to explain to my friend what the chips stood for. While telling her how the owner of the bar stated that everyone had a choice. The words I used to tell her were “you have a choice.” As those words came out of my mouth, they pierced my heart. At that moment the Holy Spirit was telling me that I also had a choice to continue watching or leave. I allowed a few more minutes before leaving. Since I could not ignore what God was telling me, I left. The rest of the time I sat in the lobby waiting for the movie to end. I decided to look up a review on the movie I was watching. The review was not good and more inappropriate scenes where still yet to be played. I am glad I left when I did.

As we grow in our relationship with Jesus, we will be called to stand for what we believe. It might be something small like walking out on a movie or something bigger. He will always allow us to make the choice. This demonstrates His love because He wants us to choose Him. Because He wants the choice to be genuine and not an obligation, He gives us free will.