Lonely at the Top

If God was all-knowing, loving and good, why would he make man with the ability to commit evil?

This is a question that justifies the agnostic and confirms the atheist. To be fair, it's a good question that can baffle the most faithful of Christians. Unless you have a fractional understanding of the limitless depths of God's love for you, it can be a tough one to answer. I'm going to try. To explore what I believe the answer to this question is, we have to begin by asking: Why did God even create man? So, let's start there.

My brother is the CEO of a very successful oil and gas company here in Austin, Texas. One day I was having a conversation with him about what it's like being the owner of a company such as his. As he elaborated on the company's achievements, the in's and out's, the struggles, etc. I couldn't help but sense a sort of loneliness in his voice. Without really thinking I blurted, "It must be lonely at the top, huh?". His answer to my question affirmed what I sensed.

To say God created us just because he was lonely at the top, at face value sounds, in the least, foolish, and at most, sacrilegious. I mean he's God! Isn't God above an emotion like loneliness? Yet, when I read what his word has to say on the matter - how we were created in God's image (Gen. 1:27), how it's not good for man to be alone (enter Eve; Gen. 2:18), how he calls us friends (John 15:15), how we were created to declare his praise (Is. 43:21), show his glory to the world (Is. 43:7) - I see how I was created out of his desire for fellowship. Relationship. And how maybe, just maybe it is pretty lonely at the top. Regardless of whether God's creation of man was conceived out of loneliness or not, one thing is for certain: God wanted you.

So God did it. He created man. Why did he make us with the ability to commit such evil acts of violence against ourselves and each other. Couldn't he have seen the outcome of creating man like this since he knows all? Why doesn't he stop it?

To explore the answer to these questions, we need to remember that God's desire is for relationship with his creation. If you had a husband, wife, child, or friend that you forced to love you, serve you, and be at your beckon call, would it really be love and would you truly be satisfied with that? I would guess not. Same with God. If God programmed us with a setting on default love for him, we might as well be robots incapable of choice. Because of sin entering the world and man being strategically designed by God with the ability to choose it, we are not robots. We do have a choice to love God and therefore follow him. So while God knows and has already seen (his omniscience) what choice you will make, he still gives you that choice. That, in and of itself, is love. Now, can he put people, situations and circumstances in your life to help you with that choice? Absolutely! I believe (because of my own rescue story) that God never stops chasing us down, and he'll use everything from the highest highs to the lowest lows for your good and his glory. I even see God, at certain times in scripture, harden people's hearts and soften them (see Pharoah in Ex. 14:4; Paul in Acts 9) for his glory. Make no mistake about it. It is all for his glory.

The fact that he created man for relationship with himself knowing that man would continually not choose him humbles me. The fact that, in his omniscience, Almighty God could foresee himself in human, bloodied and beaten form hanging by nails on a wooden cross while not defending himself as the only accessible route for us (Is. 53) - knowing that some still wouldn't choose him - absolutely wrecks me. God knew the endgame when no one else did, he knew the price he would have to pay in order to make a way for a people who didn't even know they needed it, much less wanted it. He sent his one and only son Jesus - fully God and fully man - to do what we couldn't as a way to pay our ransom from sin and death once and for all. Because he loved you so much. All while we still turn our backs.

The outcome of our choice is either life or death. We can spend eternity with him or we can spend eternity without him. There is no in between no matter how much the god of this world (Satan) blinds you to this very simple truth. God doesn't send people to eternal hell - we choose to go there. The consequences of that choice create the chaos and violence you see today. But the effects of a life following God living empowered by his spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22). The work has already been done and the way has already been paved by Jesus Christ. All you have to do is accept it and say:

Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. Forgive me for continually turning my back on you. Jesus I believe that you are Lord and I'm ready to choose you. Help me live a Holy Spirit empowered life and change me from the inside out. Amen.

**If you've prayed this prayer, it is the most important decision you've ever made and I want to know about it! I will be praying alongside you and am here to answer any questions you may have about following Jesus. I don't know everything, but I know who does and I know that he has been desiring a relationship with you since he formed you in your mother's womb. Congratulations and welcome to the Kingdom of God!!!**