By I had an interesting discussion in my bible study this morning that I feel compelled to share. We were discussing Ephesians and the moderator asked how we felt about predestination. This question kick-started some conversations that I wasn’t at all prepared for. But as with so many things in life, I believe God wanted me to hear what was being said.
Predestination (yes I googled) is the divine foreordaining of all that will happen, especially with regard to the salvation of some and not others.
It’s hard not to confuse that with good and bad things that happen in our every day life and our free will to choose. Do I have choice? I think of the moving ‘Sliding Doors‘ which traces two alternative storylines – one if a train had been caught and the other if it had been missed. Or if you are a sci-fi fan, this is the concept of parallel universes and alternate timelines existing.
Now that is a lot to take in on a Thursday morning and only one cup of coffee. I freely admit that I don’t understand why bad things happen. I shook my fist at God when I saw how dementia stripped away my mom’s memories. She didn’t deserve that suffering…which launches my mind into thoughts about what we deserve vs. what we get.
I believe God gives us challenges to help make us better persons. Sometimes we make the right choice, sometimes we fail. He knows that. Either way we learn to lean on Him. And that learning to lean part is what he’s after.
Better phrased by one of the attendees:
The game is fixed. You get to choose which team you’re on.
God will win. Always. And if Paul is right (he’s the author of Ephesians), God has His team chosen already.
BUT
…this is where free will kicks in. I also have to choose to be part of His team.
So noodle that as you watch the Super Bowl (speaking of games that might be fixed!).
Here’s me volunteering at the Super Bowl when Atlanta hosted a few years back!
I couldn’t find any pics from when I volunteered in New Orleans (if I do I’ll add in later)!