A Thought: What Will I Do?
- Michael Smith
- Aug 18, 2018
- 3 min read
Lord, thank you for the free-will that you have given me. Please forgive me for using it
so wrongly so often. I know that I need to love more. My heart needs to grow, and for that I need your grace and I need to work with that grace. As seeds of evil and self-love float into my life may they not take root in my heart. If they do please pull them no matter the cost to me. I wish to love and come to you always. In Jesus Christ's name I pray, amen.
Ezekiel 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32
The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, what is the meaning of this proverb that you recite in the land of Israel: "Fathers have eaten green grapes, thus their children's teeth are on edge"? As I live, says the Lord GOD: I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among you who will repeat this proverb in Israel. For all lives are mine; the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine; only the one who sins shall die. If a man is virtuous—if he does what is right and just, if he does not eat on the mountains, nor raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; if he does not defile his neighbor's wife, nor have relations with a woman in her menstrual period; if he oppresses no one, gives back the pledge received for a debt, commits no robbery; if he gives food to the hungry and clothes the naked; if he does not lend at interest nor exact usury; if he holds off from evildoing, judges fairly between a man and his opponent; if he lives by my statutes and is careful to observe my ordinances, that man is virtuous—he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD. But if he begets a son who is a thief, a murderer, or lends at interest and exacts usury– this son certainly shall not live. Because he practiced all these abominations, he shall surely die; his death shall be his own fault. Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD. Turn and be converted from all your crimes, that they may be no cause of guilt for you. Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, says the Lord GOD. Return and live!
I read these lines and I feel some relief, because when I read these lines I hear that my life is my own. I have my free-will. I decide if I will join God in paradise. I decide if I want to love, but what will I choose? God will look on my actions. He will look to see how I choose to love or not. God is willing and able to help me for he always loves me. I find evil and hell only when I decide to walk away from him and love.
Matthew 19:13-15
Children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." After he placed his hands on them, he went away.
I read these lines and think, "Hmm... how often have I kept my children out of something because I thought that they were "too little" to participate, probably too often. I have come to see that children are the light of the world because they carry God's love so effortlessly. Yet we as "grown-ups" do them a disservice sometimes because we teach them to not love so "recklessly". It's a balancing act for sure. I often wonder if we were to all love as purely and as openly as young children do would this world be so messed up?
Each moment is an opportunity to choose love and through that love to live holy because God is love. What will I choose today? What will you choose to do?
And that's all I got to say about that.
