Issues of Free Will

So. Since last night, I've been trying to reconcile some things in my head. Namely, the image of God I KNOW to be true, a God who is perfect, and holy, who abhors sin and who comforts the weak and down trodden. For a while, I couldn't reconcile that with a God who allows a mother to beat her 9 year old daughter, who allows her boyfriend to beat her son when he steps in to make a difference. How can my loving, wonderful, perfect, all-powerful, all-knowing God allow THAT to happen? Because the "We live in a fallen world" line just wasn't really cutting it anymore.

The conclusion I came to was relatively simple, I guess, maybe because it's something I've spent so long trying to reconcile. My conclusion was, it all comes back to free will. I've struggled with that for a long time, but it explains the allowance of sin.

If God loves us enough to let us be free, to make our own decisions, it means he certainly wouldn't impose His will on a non-Christian. And I realized He wouldn't be the God I love and serve if He did. Maybe it's just my pride speaking, but I don't like thinking of myself as a puppet on a string.

I've been thinking, too, about whether praying for the salvation of a non-Christian friend imposes on their free will. The term Grandpa Zimm answered me with was "Convict, not Coerce." I liked that. The way Mom put it to me was that He sends His Spirit to convict them, but it doesn't FORCE them to accept His salvation in any way shape or form. The responsibility still rests with them.

So I guess those are my thoughts for the last little while.

And while we're here, I guess I'd like to send out another prayer request for my friend. He needs God. What more can I say?

xoxo,
Erika Rose <3