Since we believe that events in our lives happen because it is God's will, how does this jive with our "free will?" Are we truly making "free will" decisions or is it all "God's will?" To simplify: "God's will" versus "free will" - which one is it really?
One of the greatest birthday gifts that God gave us is our free will, or our freedom. Freedom does not mean the freedom to do whatever we want, but the power to choose what is good. Because of our freedom, we are not just subject to our human instincts which are often based on "me first." As Catholics, we believe that we receive this power in a very special way during baptism and we are able to counter "original sin," the tendency of humanity to be selfish.
At the same time, God who is love, also gave us the freedom to choose NOT to love God back. This is true love, isn't it? If God simply programmed us to love God back, then what kind of love would that be?
Therefore, God’s gift to us is not just God’s love, but the freedom to accept or reject that love.
Regarding God's will, don't look at it in terms of the predictability of the specific events that happens in one's life. We are not living life which has been predetermined in God’s heavenly videotape. For example, you applied for a job and were not accepted. We often attribute that to God's will, but it could simply be because you really do not qualify for that job.
Rather, look at God's will as God's ultimate intent to bring YOU and all of humanity back to God. God does not often work in a straight sequence, that is from A to B to C and so on until you reach Z. Life is not like that. Instead, we often go from A to B to C and then back to B and even to A. But God's intent is always for you to reach Z. It is not beyond God to take you from A straight to K then to W, only for you to take yourself back to C. God does not give up; it is God's will to eventually take you to Z.
Look at the A, B, C and so on as the different people and events in our lives. God communicates to us through the people and events that happen in our life. (Come to think of it, how else can God communicate to us?) Our sensitivity to God's presence, and the strength of our personal relationship with him, help us reflect and interpret God's will in these people and events. When we conform our free will with God's will, then we make progress. If we don't, then we backtrack. Hopefully, by being in the Singles Apostolate, you can continue to grow in this relationship with God.
While God's will is for you to be with God, you can always say NO. You can always say "No, thanks, but I don't want God's love." The irony is that God loves us so much that God allows you to reject that love.
Finally, we believe that we find true happiness when we conform our free will (or freedom) with God's will. That is why we discern God's purpose for our lives. While we know that it is God's ultimate intent for all of us to be with God, we discern daily how to be with God. Discerning God's will presupposes that you have a relationship with God, since it is quite difficult to know someone's will for you if you don't know that person.
So, back to your question: "when things happen to us, is it free will or God's will?" The answer is: both. God is communicating to us all the time through people and events, and is leading us closer to God. If you take God’s cue, then you can conform your free will to God's will.
- Written by Manny Blas
