Set before you is blessing or cursing, life or death... choose life!

"I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life, that both you and your descendents may life..." Deuteronomy 30:19

I have been, of late, both reading and listening to many "reformed" or "calvinist" thinkers and teachers. I've heard some speak of an "illusion" of choice. Certainly God wills certain things and can/does control all things, but does he not desire a willing heart? One who accepts God's will, embraces the future, and chooses to place themselves under His authority and leadership? In his book, True Spirituality, Francis Schaeffer uses a term "active passivity", specifically turning to Mary as an example. When Mary was told she would bear the Christ-child into the world, born of the Holy Spirit, Luke 1:38 records her response: "And Mary said, 'Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.'"

Mary had a choice: a) she could have accepted that she would bear the Christ child, married Joseph, and then sired the "Christ child" through the marriage. b) She could have revolted, yelling and screaming at God at how unfair it was for Him to make a choice for she and her body; after all, it was going to be quite incovenient! or c) she could have willingly accepted God's plan and actively submitted to it (which, of course, is what she choose to do as demonstrated by her statment quoted above).

God calls; God asks us to make a choice. I suppose the question arises in whether we actually have a choice at that moment: does it really matter?

Choose life! Submit to God's authority! Accept that you cannot do this life on your own! Submit to God with an "active passivity"...

Choose life.