Center for Creative Ministry A research organization and research center for Seventh-day Adventist pastors and their congregations
Free Will, Love, and Divine Providence
“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” This line, uttered by Dr. Ian Malcolm in the first Jurassic Park film, reveals his concerns about the rich philanthropist John Hammond bringing real dinosaurs to life for a theme park. Of course, we know by the end of the movie that his concerns were spot on.
This line became so popular that it’s found its way into several memes of popular food products that have been morphed into something… well, less appetizing (some real, some fake).
For example, memes include images of cappuccino-flavored Lay’s potato chips, marshmallow Peeps-flavored Pepsi, and cherry cola-flavored Oreos, each captioned with Dr. Malcolm’s quote. Possibly the most disturbing gastronomical abomination is an image of red Mrs. Butterworths Fruity Pebble syrup, headlined, “Mrs. Butterworth’s scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
The blogger My Geek Wisdom sums up the sentiment of Dr. Malcolm’s quote this way: “There are times when we do things just because we can. We tend to live in the moment without (considering) the consequences of our actions. Sometimes, the consequences aren’t worth it.”
Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should.
The ability to do something—especially if you happen to be omnipotent—must be tempered with wisdom, or things can get out of hand rather quickly. James and John (the Sons of Thunder) begged Jesus to let them rain down fire from heaven on an obstinate Samaritan village (Luke 9:51-56). Jesus, in His wisdom, said no. And today, just because we have the nuclear capability to destroy life on this planet several times over doesn’t mean we should use it. Hopefully, wiser heads will always prevail.
Just because God has the ability to control every event in this universe down to the slightest detail doesn’t mean that that’s the best use of that power. God, who is not only omnipotent but is also omniscient, sees a bigger picture that we can never understand.
Through the wisdom of infinite love, God determined that it’s best to give humans the freedom of choice, and then deal with the consequences when we inevitably make wrong decisions.
As hard as it is for us to accept that God allows bad things to happen to good people, it’s even harder for God (Who has the ability to stop such afflictions) to sit back and watch humanity suffer.
We may never fully understand God’s reasoning process during these times.
We can’t experience the depths of God’s despair over the current condition of our world, but we can know that God’s love never fails, and someday God’s love will prevail.
For Reflection
Connecting: If you were granted complete control, with no restrictions, over your workplace—your department, your region, or even your whole organization—what is the first thing you would change? Just because you can, should you?
Sharing: How do you think God feels when we go down a wrong path? In what ways does God respond to our foolishness?
- God is disappointed and begins ordering events in our lives to gently nudge us back where we belong
- God sits in anxious anticipation, hoping we’ll get back on the straight and narrow path
- God sends the Holy Spirit to work on our subconscious to try and steer us in the right direction
- God calmly watches over us, not getting too concerned, because it will all work out in the end
- God chooses not to know how our lives will turn out and therefore observes us with great interest, like when we watch a movie without seeing any spoilers
- Other:
Applying: Why is it particularly unhelpful to respond to a tragic event with the statement “It must be God’s will”? What is a better response to misfortunes?
Valuing: Is there a particular incident in your life that you plan to ask God about someday—“Why did You let that happen”? How has this situation affected your relationship with God? What helps you to trust Jesus when you can’t see God at work?
~ Chuck Burkeen
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| I have a request. A special request.
As you’re reading this, a team of missionaries constructs churches for La Purísima and Ciudad Constitución, small towns in Baja California SUR, Mexico. The team primarily consists of Washington-based volunteers and features a sprinkling of Oregonian flavor. As a member of this team, I respectfully bring our prayer requests to you. Please pray…
Thank you! P.S. If you would like to follow along with our adventures, please visit our Facebook group Mission Adventures Today. Stefani Leeper | Content Coordinator |
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