What Can We Choose?

The Voice of Zion September 2025 - Editorial --

We live in a culture that prizes control. We’re told we can design the life we want, chart our path, and shape who we want to be however we please. From daily decisions to long-term goals, it’s easy to fall into the mindset: “If I work hard enough and plan carefully enough, I can make life go my way.” 

But what happens when it doesn’t? 

The illusion of total self-determination eventually breaks. A relationship falters. An illness arrives. A plan fails. We realize that not everything bends to our will – and that can feel disorienting. Yet for the believer, this truth can be freeing. We’re not in control of everything – and we’re not supposed to be. 

Many things in life are beyond our control. We do not choose the day of our birth or the day of our death. We cannot prevent every sorrow or orchestrate every success. Part of living in faith is learning to make peace with this reality: that God is God, and we are not – God is in control, and we are in His care. Scripture gives us comfort in this mystery: “In thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them” (Ps. 139:16). Our days are not random; they are known to Him before we live them. This doesn’t mean that our choices and actions don’t matter. Rather, it means we live under the watchful care of a Father whose wisdom is higher than ours. In that knowledge, we can release our need to control and rest in His providence. 

Still, this doesn’t mean we’re powerless. Scripture encourages us to live wisely and faithfully in the responsibilities given to us: “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Eccl. 9:10). Martin Luther agreed. In matters of daily life – what he called civil righteousness – we do have freedom. We choose how to treat others, how to spend our time, what to say or remain silent about. In The Bondage of the Will, he writes, “In external things which pertain to this life, a person is free and has the power to choose… to labor or not, to speak or to keep silence.” And these choices matter. Whether we do what is the right choice or a poor choice or even a fall into sin, our actions can leave a lasting mark on our earthly lives and the lives of others. 

God has also given humankind remarkable knowledge and skill – not in opposition to faith, but as part of His ongoing care for creation. Luther affirmed that God works through means: through builders, farmers, teachers, doctors and public servants to serve and protect. “God gives every good thing,” he said, “but not just by waving His hand. He uses instruments, people, and means to do it.” We benefit daily from gifts He gives through others.  

As stewards of our lives and others’ wellbeing, we are called to make informed, humble and loving choices. While we are free to weigh advice and act according to conscience, rejecting sound guidance out of pride or the assumption we know better can become a form of self-reliance that turns us away from trusting God. Scripture warns, “Be not wise in thine own eyes” (Pro. 3:7). Living under God’s care means recognizing that our choices carry responsibility and consequence – and also that God’s mercy meets us wherever we fall short. 

But what about spiritual things – like choosing God, repenting, and believing? 

Here, Lutheran teaching draws a clear distinction. In spiritual matters, we are not free. Without faith we are spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1), unable to turn toward God on our own. Jesus says plainly: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44). 

This can be hard to accept, especially in a world that celebrates self-made success. But in reality, it’s a source of deep comfort. Our salvation does not depend on our strength or effort. It depends entirely on God’s grace. 

Faith is not our decision – it is God’s gift. The heart that believes has been awakened by the Spirit. And once awakened, our will is renewed. We begin to want what is good. We desire to live according to God’s Word. 

So we do what we can. We make plans, live honestly, and speak truth in love. And then we let go – entrusting the unknown to God, who sees all, knows all, and loves us still. 

Faith doesn’t mean we never struggle. But it gives us a place to rest when our limits come into view. In God’s hands, even what we don’t control is not out of control. Even what we don’t choose is not random. And even when we feel weak, His grace remains strong.