It is God’s choice that even before conception would take place, man’s consent would be obtained. God wills that in His giving Himself for the salvation of men and women, every human being must cooperate with his salvific act.
To give a person freedom can sometimes be tricky. To make somebody free can be risky because freedom can always be subjected to abuse. To give freedom to somebody can be risky because freedom can be used against the giver of freedom. Parents who give their children freedom may one day regret having done so when the children go beyond their curfew or go beyond moral boundaries.
Leaders who give their citizens freedom may one day regret it when they desire to hold on to power, and their followers, using their freedom, oust them from their posts.
But it is not that way with God. God is willing to take the risk to give us freedom. That is how much he loves us.
The sad thing is that while God, who controls everything, allows us to be free, we, who have no right to control anything – because God is in control – want to hold everybody by the neck and want everybody to conform to our thinking. And when they do not act like us, when they do not talk like us, when they do not deal with us the way we want them to, we give them the cold treatment, and we become hostile. We put pressure – and more pressure on them so that they will eventually act, talk, and think like us. That is not a human being; that is a puppet.
God gives us freedom. The freedom to love and be loved by Him. We are not puppets. We are God’s children.
THE GIFT OF FREEDOM
Lk 1:26-38
Looking For Jesus
