Changes, Choices, and Challenges
Photo courtesy of Caleb Jones
By Lloyd Pumphrey
We experience change every day of our lives. These changes can be wonderful, like the birth of your child, or painful, such as the loss of a loved one. Change is a natural part of life, and it helps us grow–by facing these changes and learning to handle them. Three concepts that are involved in dealing with the natural shifting of life are the three “CH” words: Changes, Choices, and Challenges.
It’s human nature to not like change. We crave comfort and security in our lives. We tend to create routines, and we follow them as closely as possible. There are two different kinds of changes. The first is changes that we create on our own, such as dieting to lose weight. The second is changes that are brought upon us, like a car accident. The difficulty is in accepting that there will be a necessary struggle as we face the changes that inevitably come in and out of our lives, whether we like it or not. The question is, how do we deal with it? When we experience change, we come to the next “CH” word that we are faced with: Choices.
Choices are an integral part of God’s creation. This is based on the principle of free will which is a major factor of true freedom. While God gave us the three blessings to “be fruitful, multiply and have dominion over the Earth” (Genesis 1:28), he also gave Adam and Eve the commandment “not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” (Genesis 2:17). This is where “choice” comes in. Choice is the basis of free will. If we do not have the option to make a choice, then it is not free will and therefore not true freedom, which is what free choice is all about.
“What is the meaning of true freedom? In light of the Principle, three characteristics of freedom stand out. First, there is no freedom outside the Principle. Freedom requires both free will and the free actions pursuant to that will. The former and the latter have the relationship of internal nature and external form, and perfect freedom is achieved when they are in harmony. Therefore, there cannot be any free action without free will, nor can free will be complete without free actions to accompany it. Free actions are generated by free will, and free will is an expression of the mind. Since the mind of an original, sinless person cannot operate outside of God's Word, that is, the Principle, it will never express free will or generate free action apart from the Principle.”
— Exposition of the Divine Principle, Chapter 2 Section 5.1
Choice was a pivotal part of what caused the fall of humankind. Adam and Eve had the choice to follow God’s commandment or not. They made the wrong decision. Many times, we may think we’re making the right choice according to our own perspective and experience, but it turns out to be wrong. A good example from the Bible is the curse of Ham, when Ham felt ashamed of his father, Noah, and his nakedness and covered him with a blanket (Genesis 22-25). Ham thought that he was doing the right thing, but in that moment he let shame guide his choices. A more loving choice, for example, would have been to understand his father’s hard work and sacrifice in building the arc and to choose to have compassion for him instead. We see another example in the story of Adam and Eve, as explained in the Divine Principle. Eve tempted Adam because she was trying to fix her mistake of not following the commandment on her own, without consulting God.
If we look back over biblical and modern history, we can see many examples of figures who were faced with difficult choices. Even the most vile figures in history had to make choices that could have been for the betterment of mankind instead of its destruction. This quandary can be seen in almost every political leader who had to make a choice that cost the lives of thousands, or even one key figure. The history of humankind is made every moment by the choices of those living it.
In making a choice, we are faced with the third “CH” word: Challenge. Making the right choice is often not easy. When we are faced with a challenge, it can be a singular challenge or one of dozens, such as time, difficulty, the probability of succeeding. God has had to deal with this throughout history, just trying to reconnect to humanity.
A perfect example is Abraham, who after making the choice of not completing his offerings to God, was asked to give a more serious sacrifice of offering his son Isaac to God. Although the sacrifice was great, it was through their unity and determination to complete the Challenge given to them that Abraham and Isaac were able to make the right choice. God saw their sincerity and honored their choice by rescinding the offering of Isaac.
What does this mean for our daily lives? Changes, Choices, and Challenges are all natural parts of life. What’s important is to consult God prayerfully and allow God to guide you through the inevitable challenges of life by making God-centered choices.