The Journey of Free Will
Rather you believe in God or not, it is evident to most that each being walks a path. We begin life at a certain point, and in the very end, we all will reach a particular destination. In the beginning, we were given the power, in the form of free will, to quite literally do anything we put our minds to. There is not a single external force that exists that can take this truth away from us.
Even in the most extreme conditions, for example, slavery in the US, individuals were able to overcome oppression at such a high form and achieve things they once only dreamt about. A group of people who seemingly had no human rights or freedoms were able to obtain that which was once unobtainable through sheer will alone.
Flowing with Life’s Path
When we choose to acknowledge this will and flow with it, we are choosing to operate within the will of God. All of us are capable of flowing with the river of life and reaching destinations we know exist for us. In reality, most of us will reach our destination within our lifetimes.
Some of us much sooner than others, but truly, that depends on which path we take. Often, we convince ourselves that a shortcut will get us there, not realizing that this detour only leads to an innumerable amount of other detours. Eventually, most of us will find there is truly only one path to take to reach our goals. For some, the detours we take only lead to backtracking in order to find this path.
Predetermined Destinations Do Not Exist
No one is predetermined to fail, just as no one is predetermined for greatness. There are roles that exist in this world that must be filled. This does not mean that there is any one individual in particular destined to fill that role.
In the Book of Job, we see a man who is righteous in every way. He is then tested in the form of losing all things most would consider important to life. His property, livelihood, and even his children are all taken from him. When this happens, instead of remaining attached to all that he had, he let it all return to the source from which it came and remained thankful for the time he had with it.
“The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” – Job 1:21
Detachment from Results
The path we are meant to walk is not one of despair. In the same fashion, it is not one of glory either. Despair and glory are both things that come to pass. We experience them as they are, and we are not meant to cling to them in an attempt to relive the same moment again and again.
Even so, we often find ourselves becoming obsessed with the results of situations. When we succeed at a task, we are quick to become boastful, glorifying our efforts and becoming frustrated when others do not heap praise upon us. On the other hand, when we fail, we blame others, most of the time blaming God for our misfortune.
We harbor these feelings internally and hide our failures from others out of shame for what they may think. In the end, none of this ought to matter to us. We should maintain our path regardless of what the results are. All things that come before the goal are just temporary.
Walking the Path
There is a path set for each of us. All we need to do is walk it to realize the things we seek. When things do not go our way, do not blame God for your misfortune. If we are given a clean path to walk on but choose to walk through mud because it seems “quicker,” it is faulty to curse the one who put the mud there.
We choose the path; the path does not choose us. When you experience success, it is okay to enjoy the moment. However, do just that—enjoy the moment. As soon as that moment is done, continue on your path as if it didn’t happen.
A Challenge to Readers
I challenge each of you reading this today to pick a small, obtainable goal that leads to the eventual goal you seek. Once you have it, work towards it every day. Cut out all distractions in your life. Do not celebrate success or hide from failure. Simply just walk the path.
Lights & Truth 