Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should!
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But what if I want to and it makes me smile? What if it makes me feel good inside? Where does my happiness fall in this equation and what are the other variables? Who or what holds the authority to determine whether I should or not follow through with my thoughts [intentions]?
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Isn’t this freedom [free will]? Aren’t we free to do as we please?
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In a past life, we found ourselves pulled in different directions, battling thoughts and actions for fear of judgement from others. Fearing misunderstandings… fearing labels… fearing being outcast by society and left to live in solitude on a deserted island trapped with only our thoughts, guilt, and shame.
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Hmm… Which will kill us first, our uncensored thoughts, momentous guilt, or darkest shame?
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Shame? Why has this word escaped the human language in today’s time? Many believe we should bring shame back as people in general seem to care less these days. Youth are fighting their elders, parents consuming substances around their kids, and no one bats an eye. What happened to shame? How did we get here?
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Some time ago, little boys couldn’t wear certain colors or play with particular toys for fear of being emasculated and deemed unworthy of carrying their father’s name. Little girls couldn’t learn certain skills and were restricted to what they could wear for fear of being possessed by a jezebel spirit and being disowned by their mothers.
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Isn’t this freedom [free will]? Does the innocence or purity of one’s mind not matter?
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Where have these standards come from, and who deemed it so? Whose interpretation declared it law? Interpretation… interpretation of what? Which house spoke this language? Who speaks as the head of this house?
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Many are beginning to think to themselves that this language sounds quite familiar and close to home… as you begin looking around and scanning your brain for more clues or perhaps a scripture for reference.
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Ahhh! The dust begins to settle, and our minds collectively remember these condemnations spoken in the House [Church] of our Father [Lord]. These interpretations were spoken with such conviction and persuasion of truth; parents never debated or gave pause to the instructions; other adults shrunk in shame for not meeting the various definitions or scripts of how to be a good man or a woman of value.
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Shame was weaponized as a tool to shun you away from our Father’s house… you were declared an abomination… you were labeled as a woman unfit for a husband… you were viewed as a man too soft for a queen. And in this era, shame became powerful and unyielding.
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But isn’t this, too, freedom [free will]? Obedience does not require understanding; compliance is what’s expected, right?
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Over time, power was siphoned from the Father [Lord] and transfused into the veins of leaders addicted to the power of influence. Like a wildfire, this poison spread throughout communities and plagued nations for generations.
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If you dared to think differently and raise questions, you were labeled a problem child, disobedient, shameful, or sinister. So, you rebelled by no longer showing your face, running away from the darkness that disguised itself as truth, love, and acceptance. This trauma followed you as the vision from your eyes faded, the beat of your heart declined, the sparkle of your spirit dimmed, and your confidence melted away as an orphan once embraced in a formidable House [Church].
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What could you do, right? They declared themselves chosen by God directly… God spoke to them weekly, right? No matter how much you prayed, God never spoke directly to you [you never heard his voice]. Therefore, their interpretations must be true, right?
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What if I told you God lives in each of us who choose to believe in Him and all judgement rests in his hands? Not every House [Church] was built on His foundation or with a leader chosen by Him!
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All that time you thought you were running, you were sleepwalking and not gaining any clarity. Clarity comes with knowledge, knowledge comes from reading, reading His words gives you unlimited power, and with power comes an avalanche of responsibility.
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Now, isn’t this Freedom [free will]? Shouldn’t freedom [free will] lead us to God, hold us accountable and enlighten us?
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A simple humanitarian act such as respecting our fellow neighbor is a lost concept. Most appear to be in survival mode and there’s no space for niceties when people are “too” occupied fighting for resources, fame, and opportunity. And that my friend, is when we begin our fall from grace. Being too busy for God [praying]… being too tired for God [praying]… living too well for God [praying]… in too much pain for God [praying]… being too happy to need God [prayer].
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When you’re too anything for God and begin to engage in your freedom [free will], all hell breaks loose. Living for the moment may have irreparable consequences that not even prayer can cure. Not caring about your neighbor, parents, or the elderly leads you astray from our Father’s grace, protection, and mercy. Granting God’s authority to any man or woman on this earth will always open the door to confusion, disappointment, and heartache.
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Just because you can do or say whatever you like does not mean you should, because whether you believe it or not, every action has a consequence and God is always watching!
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Use your freedom [free will] to earn your golden pass into the gates of heaven. Pray for others more than yourself, give to others more than you receive, share God’s glory with happiness, uplift your neighbors with a kind heart, and be a beacon of hope when others are trapped in darkness!
Now that’s freedom [free will]! Moving in alignment with God!
