Would The Pottery Choose Differently?
Here's an interesting question:
Would the pottery choose differently than the potter's design?
As someone who grew up far from the church and Jesus I heard a lot of Christian's talk about predestination and all that.
One thing that stuck out to me throughout the decades is everyone's on/off answers to these topics. Either you are in "that" camp or "the opposite of that" camp. Most often there is no middle ground to these topics for so many Christians.
One of the reasons for that is because this topic has a lot of references in The Bible. And people learn those references and build their thoughts around them.
So... Predestination... A hot topic of disagreement between many denominations. But instead of making a definitive statement I will ask a question:
Would the pottery choose differently than the potter's design?
Soo many people argue one or the other:
- "free will, no destiny"
- "pre-destined at creation, you don't actually have free will"
Now what I am about to say might be odd to process...
What if BOTH are true?
What if we are predestined AND we have complete free will?
Now if that hurts your brain the longer you think about it, you're in good company. It does, and it should. But that friction in our brains is not "because they cannot both be true". But rather because our human intellect is limited.
Now some would call shenanigans on "our human intellect is limited". And I understand that. But my rebuttal is simple.
Look out the window.
200 years ago humans said "there cannot be tiny invisible things that make us sick", yet we know germs are real now.
1000 years ago humans said "humans cannot fly", yet 10s of thousands of people move across this planet in airplanes every single day now.
And I don't know about you, but I struggle to understand my own life as I have chosen to live it. How could I begin to comprehend the complexities of the universe and creation?
Of course the response usually to these kinds of conversations is "yeah well we figured it out eventually! We will figure everything out someday because we're capable!" And you're free to hold that opinion. But wisdom would inform us that everything has it's limits.
For example we know dolphins are intelligent, but are only capable of so much intelligence. Why is it strange to think that humans also have limits to their intelligence? Sure it's far beyond that of dolphins, but are we beyond having any limitations? It would be irrational to believe humankind has zero limitations.
So taking a step back and breathing a little. Going back to free will and predestination. We can certainly start to consider:
"ok, maybe this is something we cannot truly nail down and understand clearly."
So back to the original question:
Would the pottery choose differently than the potter's design?
I ran into a version of this recently in my own time with The Lord. Finding myself arguing with The Lord about my path forward. One that I don't seek or chase, at all. Like earnestly not the path I want to take. But instead of a deep explanation, instead of a "just go and trust me" I got hit with something unexpected.
Would you choose a different path?
Immediately I was humbled, and slightly startled, by my own laughter. Laughter from deep inside my soul. Because it came from who I am, not what I think or feel. My personality, my character let out a deep bellowing laugh into the room. Because I knew the answer to that question immediately, down to the core of my being.
There is a place within human life where you don't want to do what you know you're supposed to do. But you also know it's what you were made for.
And that realization was where this question was birthed:
Would the pottery choose differently than the potter's design?
Was I made for whatever the road ahead of me is, that The Lord has called me to? Yes. It was part of the spices and ingredients The Lord put in his creation blender when he decided to create me. Which many people would argue is predestination.
Yet, I have the freedom to deny that nature. Deny whatever my gifts are. And turn away from that path and do my own thing, don't I... Which would be free will.
So what if we are both predestined and we have free will?
Because what if there's a third scenario. Which is the truth.
We were made for a purpose. But we are free to not fulfill that purpose. But if we're being honest with ourselves... would we choose to do anything otherwise?
Would pottery choose to become an airplane or a fish? Or would the pottery choose of it's own free will to be the container it was made to be.
Made by the potter.