Some time ago a visitor from England was ordering dinner in a restaurant. We were having a conversation, and he did not expect what was about to happen. He ordered a steak and was asked: "sirloin or tenderloin?" "8 ounce or 10 ounce?" "rare, medium or well done?" With each question my friend seemed to think he was finished. He ordered a salad and was asked: "Greek, Green, Taco or … Each time he turned back toward our conversation, and the waitress went on with the questions. "Would you like potatoes mashed, baked, fried or boiled - or would you prefer rice, we have brown rice, white rice, wild rice and fried rice." Now he was really bewildered, but it did not stop. The waitress asked if he would like garlic toast, a whole-wheat bun, or a slice of bread. Several soups were offered and by now my haggard friend was now slumped on the seat and looking thoroughly bewildered. He had never been assaulted with such an array of choices in his life. England is not like that. When it was over, he commented: "next time I will just tell her that I will have whatever you are having."
Funny how the more choices we have, the more difficult it is to make a choice. When we finally decide, we second-guess ourselves over and over. We are never sure we have made the right choice. Often we kick ourselves a year later for something we should have done or a choice we did make. I read a little comment a store owner made. His example was that if you give a five year old child a candy, He eats it and that is that. He likes it and it is wonderful. He wants another one. If you offer five different kinds of candy, he will eat four and still be unsure if he picked the best one - after eating the fifth one, he asks if you have any different kind. We seem to be more satisfied if we are not confronted or bombarded by choices. Women get a little upset when men pick on them for shopping; however it is true that a man will go into a store, look at two or three suits, pick one, buy it and that will be that. Women (not all) have a tendency to go to several stores, select a larger number of items they might like, finally buy one and then be inclined to return it in exchange for something they later thought they would like better.
Parents realize the need to help their children grow up to make good choices. Parents who try to lay a number of choices before their children when they are very young, tend to cause frustration in the child and later arguments arise when the child wants something that the parent realizes is not good and healthy. It is the parent who chooses when it is time for the child to eat (though babies have a megaphone in their throats when they are hungry) or when bedtime is near. Parents train their children in the use of the potty and parents make decisions about what to see and do as well as where to go when the children are small. But, parents should also teach children to make good choices.
God is the greatest parent of all - that is why we call Him Father. He too wants His children to learn to make good choices. We are put in a position where we must choose. God knows that without the knowledge of consequences and the result of our choices, we really are not in a position where we truly can choose. He told Adam and Eve they could eat of every tree of the Garden except one. He explained the consequences of eating of that one tree and then He stepped back and let them choose (Gen. 2:15). Adam and Eve were forced to make a choice. God did not choose for them. They made the wrong choice and mankind has suffered for that error (Rom. 5:12). Adam and Eve were not to blame from our point of view, all of us would have made the same error were we in that Garden. Mankind seems to be led toward sin quite willingly.
God selected the seed of Abraham for His chosen nation. He also gave them laws or commands to live by and consequences for rebellion. He then made them choose (Deut. 30:19). God set before Israel life and death, blessings and cursing, and encouraged them to choose life for their sakes and the sakes of their children. No doubt God encouraged Adam and Eve as well. Israel made the wrong choices and the penalties or results have continued. God is just and fair, when He lays a choice out with a penalty, He must (because He is God) follow through with the penalty as well. I am sure God does not enjoy that part of being God - the responsible One. God is such a terrific parent that He will be sure His children will always make the right choice before they inherit eternal life from Him. He will not allow beings who are destined to be more powerful than angels to have the ability to rebel. They will have to be developed to become like Him and Jesus Christ - with the same mind.
God does not make choices for us. He has created humans with a mind to think, plan, gather information and make choices. We are not robots that are controlled by string, we are creatures who can plan, think, devise and construct. God proclaimed His creation as being very good (Gen. 2:31). He would be remiss to degrade the human mind - the pinnacle of His creation to being robots. He will not make choices for us - that takes away our concept of responsibility, planning, gathering thoughts and information and acting in a way that is similar to Him. That takes away the development of holy righteous character from us.
God does not dictate the career humans should choose, how many children they should have - and so on. In other words, it seems some feel so unsure of themselves that they want God to make the choices for them. He will not do that! There are some thing God chooses, of course. He chooses His followers, His ministers, His nation, His temple location, the manner of how He wishes to be served - and so on. But, He does not choose life for us. God wants people who have chosen to follow Him willingly, to believe in Him, to trust Him and to love Him. We can choose to live forever with God, or we can choose to die for eternity. God wants us all to be saved and to live, but if we choose not to, then He, as God, must complete the sentence of the final outcome - the second death (Rev. 20:14,21:8). God would never make these choices "for" us, but He cannot allow us to live forever in rebellion to His way either. We humans are expected to learn to make choices from childhood - and that applies to our years of post-conversion just as much as it does to pre-conversion. We make choices all of our lives. There is a huge difference between those humans God is directly working with and the rest of the world. His people get a closer scrutiny. The rest of mankind will have their opportunity.
In the final analysis of life, it ought to be clear to us that our Heavenly Father expects us to learn to appreciate and love Him and His way of life - in all its aspects. We are to understand the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Paul explained that he was to serve "willingly" (I Cor. 9:17). Paul preached because he saw and believed in the value of what God laid before him. Paul chose to serve God with all of his heart and mind. We all are given the choice to serve God. During our lifetime there will be many moments in which we will be tested to see if we truly love God. Will we make the right choice each time? That is what God is checking to see. He is not concerned about the houses we life in, the cars we drive or the normal things of life - though they sometimes do reflect our attitudes. He is concerned about choices that affect eternity. It is our responsibility to study and learn His truths and to recognize a test when it comes to us. We seek opportunities to please Him.
The choices made by a fully converted person will always reflect their faith and trust in God and the Saviour of mankind.