Leslie and Charlie (the four legged guy in her life) stopped by for a visit the other day and when they left they forgot to grab his dog leash. I emailed Leslie to tell her we had the leash and she responded, “No big, I had another one (two actually) they're just not as long as that one and not as much fun for him.” I couldn’t help thinking that the Lord has a variety of leashes for us too. Sometimes in exploration we go so far out on our leash that we feel total freedom, but I think most of us would agree with Charlie, the short leash just doesn’t seem like it’s as much fun!
1 comment:
Gail;
-----We have the hardest time understanding free will. I think God’s loyal angels are watching every action on earth, and also are getting an education on free will. I can’t say I have never believed God does not control people in as much as even putting a leash on them so they are unable to do certain things or made to do other things. And there are times when we do some things that we can only ascribe to God’s effects, however He does them. During the Colorado Republican State Convention in the Summer of 2000 I told Scott McKinnis that if a Republican House, Senate, and Administration were to be elected that did not publicly address the deceitfulness of the left wing media, then even if the Republican President were to fight and win a war freeing 25 million people, the left wing media would have him drummed out of office within four years. I had only grabbed for an example the first thought coming to my mind. It was either a coincidence or what God wanted spoken. I believe the latter. And I believe this kind of thing is as close to having us on a leash that God is willing to get.
-----I believe He does put leashes of many varieties around our necks, the channel through which the heart combines with the mind. But the other ends of those leashes He places in our own hands. I believe this is why His Word so promulgates knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, and it is why self-control is fruit of the Spirit. I see it evidenced in the decency, love, and respect of His general body abiding around the vitriolic disunity and animosity various churches display. Yet He loves them all, not yanking leashes, but extending mercy, grace, and inspiration.
-----Then I wonder about free will. The angels are myriads times myriads. The saved of humanity from all times must be billions. Altogether, that’s a whole ton of critters! Not only does every last one of them do multitudes of things, they think innumerable thoughts and feel countless feelings in displaying many attitudes. Every last one does! Multiplied by a whole ton of critters and again by all the moments of eternity, there is a massive chance that sometime in the eternal number of eternities to come, just one thought might go awry. Free will does allow it. So I am led to wonder if all the disgusting destruction, mayhem, and detestable crime against one another demonstrated in this world is not at least in part meant to convince everyone who loves God to use their free will to hand Him the end of at least one leash, the only one that allows the possibility of error, and then maybe all the others, too. It makes sense to me. And I can barely perceive it in the idea of I Cor 15:27-28, “’For God has put all things in subjection under His feet.’ But when it says, ‘All things are put in subjection under Him,’ it is plain that He is excepted who put all things under Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be everything to everyone.”
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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