When we are troubled by our own suffering or the suffering of others, we often feel we should make an effort to change things. Throughout my journey with the mental health system in England, I have often wondered whether to take action (such as starting a charity) to try to influence change for the better. My hope has been that through doing this, I might contribute to the alleviation of suffering, which seems like a good motivation.
However, it’s possible to question whether we should approach the world with the perspective that things aren’t the way they are supposed to be. If God is in control of everything that happens, as I believe He is, then should we not accept that even those aspects of society that cause us angst are manifestations of God’s will? If we take up a personal mission to struggle for change, are we in a sense ‘playing God’?
The free will issue is a central consideration. If, as I argue in my books, the omnipresence of God means a lack of the possibility of free will, then we can see everything that happens in the world as an expression of the will of God. Who are we then to argue that God is wrong in the way He is manifesting and unfolding the story of the world?
On the other hand, even with a high view of the sovereignty of God, we may feel that we are called to participate in certain processes that change the status quo. We should acknowledge that when we do this, we are not doing so freely, but are rather being used as instruments of the will of God. The whole of reality is manifested by God for His glory, and He uses every creature as He sees fit. I believe this is the reality.
Maybe what is called for is a two-pronged approach. When we know God exists and is sovereign over all events we can accept that in every moment creation is as God chooses for it to be. But at the same time, we can accept that we all have a purpose in the story of creation, and that purpose may involve being used as vessels for change. This duality makes sense, and it is only when we approach life without an awareness of God that things can fall out of balance, though arguably, there is no such thing as going astray from the will of God if He is truly the animator of all activity in existence.
With this high view of the sovereignty of God, we can see that even prayer, which many people see as being between a free human being and God, is actually more like God talking to Himself. In my view, this does not diminish the experience, but I accept that God is all-powerful and unfolds every aspect of the story of creation for His own purposes. Even the Christian story, if it is true, is more like a play directed and unfolded by God than a story in which we are genuinely free participants.
Perhaps we should embrace the duality I have described above and alter our prayer lives to reflect the fact that we are not truly free creatures? After all, incorporating an honest understanding of our lack of freedom into every area of our lives would seem to be a logical thing to do, if this is the way things really are.
If you are not convinced that we don’t have free will, I invite you to read to read my book God’s Grand Game: Divine Sovereignty and the Cosmic Playground, which provides arguments for the truth of this perspective.