Choices We Make

Freedom is God’s gift to each of us so that by our own accord we might seek out our Lord and attain our “full and blessed perfection” [CCC 1730]. While God respects our free will, do we respect the will of God? We are where we are in life due to the choices we make. “By free will one shapes one’s own life” [CCC 1731].

What are the choices we make in shaping our lives? Do we freely choose to follow the will of God? Remember, our Lord invites us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness [Matthew 6:33]. Doing so gives us a moral compass to direct the choices we make in our daily living. Otherwise, if our decisions are based solely on our own needs and wants in this earthly life, we risk losing sight of our eternal life in Heaven.

Setting our sights on eternity is difficult particularly when the here and now weigh heavily upon us. The pandemic, the presidential election, and the feeling of chaos in the world certainly try our souls. Maybe we have reached the point of choosing to give up our faith in God and hope for humanity. That temptation has crossed my path in recent days.

Our Moral Compass

What good is a moral compass when many choose not to use it? What is the point of following the rules? So many choose to bypass the rules to suit their own purposes, regardless of the consequences for themselves and society as a whole. “As long as freedom has not bound itself definitively to its ultimate good which is God, there is the possibility of choosing between good and evil, and thus of growing in perfection or of failing and sinning” [CCC 1732].

Witnessing the abandonment of morals and ethics to pursue self-interests is all the more reason to hold on tight to God’s compass for direction. We see the toll that secularism and moral relativism takes on our society. Blurring the lines between right and wrong, good and evil—with the ends supposedly justifying the means—confuses our way in life.

Choosing to follow God’s will protects us in this world from becoming completely lost and vulnerable. “The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God” [Luke 3:5–6]. How else can we make our way through the chaos? Our Lord’s protection here protects us for eternity, keeping us out of the abyss of depravity.

Keep Moving Forward

True, life can hit us very hard at times and those blows can beat us down. If we choose to move forward with God, despite the hard blows, we will not fail. Our heart will not harden and our soul will remain a loving dwelling place for our Lord. What’s more, God’s inspiration restores our faith and hope which we can share throughout our life’s journey.

Remember, with our moral compass, God gives each of us talents to do with as we choose. Let us prayerfully choose to use our talents and the time we have on this earth to draw closer to God and to draw others closer to Him as well. God always loves us; may we choose to reach our full and blessed perfection by loving God in return. Amen!