We Chart Our Own Course

9 Jun

“It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.”
~ William Ernest Henley, Echoes of Life and Death

There is one thing that is certain: God is not going to force us to do anything.  He has given us the awesome gift of free will, effectively putting us in charge of our lives and our very souls.  Yes, He will be with us and will help us as much as we want if we ask.  But, He will not force us to do anything.  Ever.  We are, indeed, the captain of our soul.

There is nothing predetermined or predestined.  There is a solid hope.  God hopes that we will choose Him over the world.  He will not force our choice, though.  That is entirely up to us.  Because of that, we must do everything possible to make sure that we prepare ourselves to choose eternal life with God when He offers it to us.

How will we go about that?  How can we be prepared and ready to say yes to God’s most gracious invitation?  We can be ready by saying yes to His will every moment of our lives.  If we are practiced at saying yes to God, we will not have a problem doing so at that final moment.  However, if we are busy saying yes to the world instead, we might take our eyes off of God and the prize of eternal life.  We might position ourselves in such a way that, when God asks us if we want to live with Him forever, we might say no.

If we say no to God, we have no one to blame but ourselves.  Take the time to practice your yes today.  When you discern God asking you to do something, say yes to Him.  When you see someone in need, that is God asking for help.  Say yes to Him.  When you see someone sick or in distress, the Lord is in that person asking for help.  Say yes to Him.

Say yes even if it means sacrificing a bit of self.  Best to sacrifice bits of self in the short term so that we can reign with God in glory for the long term.

FAITH ACTION:  Taking responsibility for all that you say and do today, make sure that your course is set toward the Kingdom.