Free Will

 

"Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having."

~C. S. Lewis

    Think with me for a moment. Because of free will, people have the choice to choose between submitting to God, living by His rules, and having a relationship with Him, or doing their own thing, making their own mistakes, and causing their own pain. Most people choose their own way, blatantly disobeying God's rules, hurting others and themselves. Because of free will, Adam and Eve rebelled in the Garden of Eden and caused the curse. Because of free will, mankind sins all the time. Because of free will, pain, suffering, sadness, and fear all exist.
    Why did God allow free will? Why didn't He just make us like robots, obeying Him all the time and reaping good results?
    Because when there's no choice, there's no love. If we were like robots, we'd be robots. Nothing we do would be an effort, something we can get excited about accomplishing, because we couldn't have been able to do anything else. There wouldn't really be joy--not the joy we'd have a reason for.
    God didn't want that. He wants to give us free will, a choice, freedom. Freedom to choose Him or reject Him. Make the right choice or the wrong one. It makes things way more difficult . . . but it's really wonderful. It's worth having a choice.