I went down a Calvinist rabbit hole once that was pretty terrifying. The thought of God just arbitrarily predestining whoever He wants to heaven and others to hell seemed evil to me.

And I suppose without further understanding of Scripture, that very thought is evil.

Because God never does anything arbitrarily. And there’s a lot more to this processs: namely man’s input.

We have free will. That’s something God has granted us, a beautiful thing really. Every day, I’m thankful for the chance to love Him and love others, to suffer the consequences of this earth in order for my heart and mind to be totally in surrender to Him.

Although, let’s face it. I’m sometimes a pansy when it comes to the suffering part, but alas, you have to go through the fire to withstand it.

We have a choice whether we’ll love God or not. And God’s foreknowledge of our choices and where our hearts lie are two of the major factors that determine His decision.

We serve a just and holy God, yet we are not just. We are not holy.

What great mercy to let us off the hook by simply loving and obeying Jesus? I mean, this world is messed up, you guys. No one else is extending us a better offer.

So what do you think? Do you feel that tug to dive into something that seems horribly scary? I get it. Admitting you’re wrong and jumping head first into something you declared you would NEVER do is a hard pill to swallow, not to mention how choosing Christ sometimes means the ones you love most will walk away from you in the exact opposite direction.

But like Christ said Himself:

“Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Luke 12:51-53

Choosing Him sometimes means losing those who don’t.

I’m not sure where you are in life, but you’ll never go wrong giving everything to God. And I’ve found the more vulnerable you are, the more wicked, the more hardened, the better the relationship because how much can God move and change what you and I can’t even begin to?

There is such a thing as a second chance, but it won’t be there forever. May we all truly consider taking it today.