We are the only creature in all of creation that have been blessed by God with free will and we’re called to respect this freedom. From the very beginning of time, we have unfortunately squandered and misused our freedom.  If we look at the patterns of our behavior, comparing what God wants for us as a loving Father with how we’ve been responding, we will see how frequently we push the envelope by desecrating our freedom.

The question is: Why did God give us the free will? Wouldn’t it have been easier to create mankind genetically good? We would have lived happily ever after! 

Thankfully, God didn’t create us to live as robotic beings. Living without personal agency is meaningless, one must have freedom to choose. God wants to have fellowship with those who by choice truly love Him. He has given us the ability to choose to be better and have the potential to know what true love is. He has also given us the intellect to believe in facts, not myths; courage, not fear; peace, not chaos; order, not confusion; love, not hatred; forgiveness, not blame. Above all, He has bestowed us with the ability to worship the creator, not the creation. 

But sadly, we have been inherently selfish. From a very young age we say, “ME, ME, ME”, and, “I, I, I”.  We always make everything about us. I am not judging our natural tendency to put ourselves first. I admit that just like Eve (the first woman on earth), I am attracted to beautiful things and desire to have them. I’m as guilty as everyone else. With the knowledge that I’m a child of God, I have a hope to grow in the truth and am learning to stop saying “ME, ME, ME”, and, “I, I, I”.  It’s a work in process. 

Furthermore, what about our children? We repeatedly remind them (no matter their ages) what’s good and bad; what’s safe and unsafe; what’s true and untrue. We continuously we tell them about the consequences of their choices. They may listen or not, but as they reach adulthood, they make their decisions based on what they think they know. At times, our silent words may be the loudest voice, saying, “Hey, don’t dishonor your freedom. Make the right choices!”  As Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus reminds us in [Galatians 5:13],

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” 

We must be careful however not to quickly judge the choices of others. Your own choices of behavior or how you raise your children is a matter between you and God. Who are we to judge you? From your children’s early days, you have taught them the true meaning of a moral life. You are not to be blamed for how your grownup children live their lives. They may be enticed by the rules or trends of this world for a little while, but if their foundations are rooted strong on solid ground, they will come back to their roots. The most loving thing to do is to be there when they need you and welcome them back with open arms, just as God always welcomes us back with open arms.  And He has promised us in verse [Matthew 28:20], “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”