Why are we here?

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! For who can know the Lord’s thoughts?   Who knows enough to give him advice? And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. Romans 11:33-36

This passage from the Bible really flooded my mind with perspective this morning. How easy it is for us to get so caught up in our own life, our own desires, even our own frustrations and to lose sight of the fact that we are simply here to bring glory to God. I had a powerful realignment of my thinking just now. We are such "ME" humans. I think that is one of our biggest challenges-to move beyond the physical, temporal view of our lives and realize that we were created to bring God glory and fulfill a plan that is His. "For who can know the Lord's thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?" None of us. So often we arrogantly place our feet in the Lord's shoes and say, "Step aside, I've got this!", but really, those shoes look ridiculous on our feet. They were not meant for us to wear. I will make no progress as long as I think that the author and creator of my life is me. "Who has given him so much that he has to pay it back?" None of us. We approach God with our accomplishments saying, "Lord we have been kind to others" and "Lord we did this and that in your name" trying to stack the deck in our favor so that we can feel justified to do whatever it is that we want to do. The purpose of the gift of free will in our lives was not so we could make decisions on our own and do whatever made us happy (although the very fact that it is free will, that is an option!) Instead, free will was a test to see if, given the opportunity to choose, will we still choose to place ourselves under the authority of God or will we be so arrogant to ignore Him altogether and think we don't need him at all? The irony of submitting to God in all things is that it is the only avenue that brings true freedom. It is the only path that leads us to true riches without sorrow (Proverbs 10:22). By choosing to make ourselves a slave to God and his will, for His glory, we are actually breaking the chains that would forever entangle us otherwise. God is a pro-choice God. He has given us the ability to choose our own way. He knows that some will take that power of choice and wreak havoc on their own lives, on the lives of those around them, and then and have to face the consequences of every choice made. The power of choice. A gift given for a divine purpose, but not forced to be used in the manner it was designed. My free will allows me to murder, slander, destroy, curse, tear down, and it also allows me to build up, bless, create, encourage and bring life. The gift of choice is from God. The way I put that gift to use is in my control. That explains why horrible things can happen to good people. It's not the case of an unloving God just letting babies be murdered, women to be raped, etc. It is the law of free will set in motion, and God will never break His own laws, even when the consequences of our choices bring Him great pain.  On the flip side, when we take that free will and lay it at the feet of the Lord and say, "Guide me. Lead me. I want my life to bring you glory", it is then that the Lord delights in our lives and works through us to accomplish His purpose for His glory. Love that is demanded is no love at all. God wants our love and devotion to be something we choose to give to Him.