"How do you make someone love you without affecting free will?"
This was Bruce's (Jim Carrey) question to God (Morgan Freeman).
And God replied, "Heh, welcome to my world, son."
I caught Bruce Almighty couple nights ago while ironing my daughter's school uniforms. I've watched this before and although it might seems offensive, even blasphemous to some, Bruce was an apt depiction of how most of us perceive God, whether in the past or even up to now.
Bruce asked God this question when his girlfriend Grace (Jennifer Aniston) dumps him after playing God has gone into his head. Frustrated, he realizes that there is more to God than just parting a red sea of tomato soup or making his dog pee in the toilet like a human.
Freeman's character's reply made me go, oo nga no? God created the heavens and earth and humans; he can do everything. He can even make us all subservient, robotic servants if He wanted to. I mean, HE IS GOD. But despite all these, God still gave us FREE WILL. He gave us the freedom to choose whether we would love or follow Him. We disobeyed him and lived sinful lives that His Son had to die the lowest form of death at that time - on the cross - to purchase our salvation. Wow, free will surely ain't free, right?
Free will, huh? In the movie, Bruce reflected how most of us live: we want to play God in our lives. God gave Bruce His powers to prove that He's doing His work right. Aren't we like Bruce sometimes? When struck with misfortunes and struggles, don't we berate God for "not doing His job?" We want to do things our way, succeed on our own capabilities for our own glory. We resent God when His will for us contradicts what we want for our own lives.
When I invite friends to church or try to share with them, I usually get a refusal with a somewhat apologetic smile. "Saka na ko lalapit kay God pag ready na ko. Aayusin ko muna buhay ko." I used to say this too. Masyado pa kong madaming atraso kay God, nakakahiya naman lumapit, was what I reasoned. In fact, there was a time I was really angry with God, and I thought, why would He listen to me if He knows I was mad at Him and what He's doing to my loved ones?
But He found a way to chase me relentlessly until He finally caught up with me. I came to know Him more and forged a relationship with Him and realized, when we are down and broken and fearful and shamed, that's the best time to go to Him. The Bible has so many verses depicting God's favor for the weak and the broken hearted. Here are some of the promises we can hold on to:
"The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the blameless." -Proverbs 10:29
"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed spirit." - Proverbs 34:18
"But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.'" - Matthew 14:27
It doesn't matter what your past is or where you are at in your life right now. If you are genuinely repentant and want to know God, He will be there for you.
"For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened." -Luke 11:10
One of my first and favorite verses was God's first Word to me when I started walking with Him: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." -James 4:8
My favorite scene in the movie was when Bruce breaks down upon seeing Grace praying so hard for him and her heart. He cried in the middle of the street, "You win. I'm done. Please, I don't wanna do this anymore. I don't wanna be God! I want You to decide what's right for me! I SURRENDER TO YOUR WILL!" Then he gets slammed in the face by a ten-wheeler.
My prayer us we all have this I-surrender-to-Your-will moment in our lives. Question is, are we going to wait until we get hit by a truck before we do it?
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