free will

people want the freedom to do as they please. they want the liberty to exercise their free will. they don't want anyone, not even God Himself, telling them what they can or cannot do. they want to do what pleases them without anyone telling them what is right or wrong.

yet...when tragedies occur, all of a sudden people are questioning God, asking where He was when all hell broke loose, asking why God didn't stop the Sept. 11 attacks, why God didn't stop so-and-so from killing, why God didn't step in and save the day...

we can't have it both ways. either we want free will or we don't. the price of the freedom to choose our actions is that there are some who will choose to destroy, to kill and to cause harm. so God is supposed to give "the good ones" free will to do as they please, but He's supposed to exercise tyranny and mind control over "the bad ones"?

it doesn't work that way.

free will is indeed a blessing and a curse, thanks to Adam and Eve. we have the freedom to either accept God or reject Him, to either obey Him or go our own way. God is not a dictator. He will let you do exactly as you please - just know that there are consequences. He wants our love and submission but will not tie us down and force Himself upon us. and we can't expect that everyone who chooses their own path is going to choose a path of life and love, instead of death and destruction.

the same way that i have the freedom to choose Christ and to stay on His straight and narrow path, is the same way that others choose Satan, to stay on his wide path of evil, death and destruction.

for those who choose Christ, find comfort in knowing that though there is evil all around, our God is in control, His grace is sufficient, His eye neither sleeps nor slumbers, and we have a promise in Him when all of this if finally over.

soon and very soon.