Free will vs. God's Plan

edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
Ok, I don't know if a thread has come up on this before, but lately I've been struggling with this idea. Does God have a plan for each one of us? I know it's a nice and fuzzy feeling when someone thinks everything is happening for a reason, but the implication of this, at least in my mind, and I desperately wish someone will correct me, is that we no longer have free will. If God has a specific plan for each person, then how do we make choices that affect our lives, if even those choices are preordained by God? Any clarification about this would be great.

Thank you all, and pray for me.

Comments

  • I have heard many people say about everything that comes
    about: “It was God’s will”, whether the outcome was good or
    bad.

    Yet God wants only the best. As for the ills that happen on
    the earth , they happen against God’s beneficent will.


    God permits these things to happen because He has generously
    granted man free will, but God will judge him for it... So that is
    why the tyrant is free to oppress, the murderer to kill and the
    thief to steal. All these matters are opposed to God’s good will
    and He will judge the wrong-doers for them.

    There is, therefore, a big difference between what God wills
    and what God permits.

    -- H.H. Pope Shenouda III in "Experiences in Life" Book
  • Yes, God has a plan for us.

    However, do not confuse God's plan with 'fate'. Fate is a non Christian idea which means that your future is decided and will happen regardless of what you do.

    But God has given all humans free will.

    You are free to choose whether you want God in your life.

    If you want God to be in your life, you ask God to help you make every decision with you and you give God full control over your life journey (He will show you the way). You pray to God asking him the things that you want. But at the end of your prayer, you say "thy will be done' 'letakon mashee2atak".

    If the things you hope to have are not good for you and are not part of God's plan, God will not give them to you. But he will give you the things which he knows you need (even though you may not think you needed them).

    If you decide that you do not want God in your life, God will not intervene with your life choices. So you can choose to e.g. pursue a career based on your abilities without God's help. and if this career is not God's plan, you will struggle and eventually fail.


    Because God loves you, he can interfere with the choices you make in your life (even though you have decided not to give him control over your life) out of love. He will try to bring you back to the right path according to His plan. But because you have free will, you can resist this and can continue going on your own way.


    Think about the story of Jonah:

    God's plan was for Jonah to go to Ninevah.

    Jonah had free will and decided not to follow God's plan

    Jonah made his own choices and decided to run away from God

    His attempts kept failing because he made decisions alone without God's help:

    1 the storm in the sea
    2 the tree in the desert

    But because God loved Jonah and had a plan for him, he kept trying to get Jonah back on the right track.

    God never forced Jonah into Ninevah, it had to be Jonah's decision because he has free will.





    To conclude:

    We have free will
    God has plans for each one of us
    We cannot have good lives without God
    We have the power to refuse to follow God's plans
    We need to let God into our lives and surrender to him, asking him to take control
    We need to have faith and believe that God wants the best, and only the best, for each one of us.

    Giving God control means to be willing to face hardships and work hard at every challenge that life throws at us.
  • nice post!
    :)
  • Thanks but give no credit to me, thank the guy at church who explained it all to me :)
  • No credit should be given to neither you or the guy at Church. God is the source of every good wisdom or
    knowledge. Only God deserves the true Credit.
    What you have got free should be given freely is the word of God. Receiving thanks or any kind of admirations violates the rule of "Free".
    Let us not also put people into temptation of pride by thanking them.
    Thank God, who speaks to us through sinners out of His Love.
    God has never failed to teach us, we never failed to disappont Him.(This is my life in short!)
  • I truly learned from this advice. Thanks to God and may the Lord continue in giving you and everyone wisdom to spread his word.

    God bless
  • +[quote author=binC link=topic=13599.msg158871#msg158871 date=1344949718]
    No credit should be given to neither you or the guy at Church. God is the source of every good wisdom or
    knowledge. Only God deserves the true Credit.
    What you have got free should be given freely is the word of God. Receiving thanks or any kind of admirations violates the rule of "Free".
    Let us not also put people into temptation of pride by thanking them.
    Thank God, who speaks to us through sinners out of His Love.
    God has never failed to teach us, we never failed to disappont Him.(This is my life in short!)


    At times, it is okay to thank people. It helps them grow and encourages them. Some personalities need this appreciation. God doesn't mind glorifying His children, His children in return give Him all thanks.

    Sometimes it's out of manners as a way to show someone you truly appreciate and love what they do.

    Other times, if we think it might become a stumbling block for someone, then that's when we refrain in a friendly manner, so this agrees with your post.

    If we run away from all compliments, there will be the thank you we can't run from. A Priest once said, if someone gives you a compliment, say, "thank you, pray for me." It helps to remember weakness, despite what the person said.
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