If there was one myth of the faith I could dispel, it would be the myth that God is a control freak who orders people’s every move. Consistently I hear people agonizing because they have been stationary in their life waiting on God to tell them what to do. They miss great opportunities, break commitments and end relationships so they can wait to hear from God what to do. Besides seeking God first, I think God gives us the power of choice in the majority of the decisions before us.

Overall, I believe we grossly underestimate the power of our choice in our relationship with God. I truly believe we are missing God’s best as we ignore our own heart’s inclinations, desires and ideas and anticipate marching orders from the dictator in the heavens.

This week, I found myself randomly reading the book of Genesis. I think I have read it a thousands times over as I recount the story of God creating the animals. Though this time, I found something in Genesis 2 that I have missed all these years:

Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field… (Genesis 2:19-20)

God deferred to Adam for what the names of the animals should be. And that was its name. Powerful.

We are also told in Isaiah 1:18 that we have been given the privilege to reason with God saying, “Come let us reason together.”

I think I could have been a great employee at some company. I am sure I could have been happy living in Fargo, North Dakota (no offense to anyone living there). I am sure I could have been happily married to some Godly lady. I am sure God would have blessed me immensely had my choices been otherwise. It doesn’t make God any less good or involved in my life.

But somehow, I picked up early in life that God gave me a mind, an opinion, talents, abilities and the power of choice. I believe I chose my wife. I believe I chose my career. I believe I am choosing many of the details of the life I am living. If I had waited for God to tell me who to marry, where to work, and what to do, I don’t know if I would have the life I have now.

Colossians 3:23 says this:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for Lord, not men.

I balance my free choice and power of my opinion by my responsibilities and stewarding what God has given me. It’s not a will power choice where I can instantly choose to be president or live in a mansion on the beach. I have a responsibility to my wife and family to be a good steward of all areas of my life and business. The truth for me is this: Stewarding my choices now gives me more choices later.

Additional scripture references include: Matthew 6:33, Isaiah 30:21, Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 16:3