Looking around at the world, it is clear to see that we humans are only small parts of something infinitely greater. I've argued the case against free will many times, and will continue to do so, because free will is the kind of thinking that keeps us inside the box of life's difficulties and uncertainties. We simply are not complete in and of ourselves - we are components of an existence that reaches far beyond our small, mortal comprehensions. Why would anyone demand to be independent of thier surroundings? I think I know the answer to that question: Fear. People who view themselves as owning thier thoughts, feelings, and actions will not only take credit for the bad in their lives, but more importantly, they will take credit for the good, and cling desparately to it. If you think that the condition of your life is even remotely a result of your own self, and not entirely the result of something outside of yourself, then you are one of these people.

So then, where does the self come into the picture? Well, you can't really eliminate it - after all, without the self, there would be no us, and therefore, there would be no discussion. But this question as to the essence of the self is at the very root of all of mankind's problems. In a manner of speaking, the self is mankind's root problem. This is no new concept - other names for it are "the ego," and "the flesh" (from the Bible). It is the enigma of all enigmas. In philisophical terms, the self is the only undoubtable certainty; "I think, therefore I am." When you break down all observable realities, you find that the one and only thing that cannot be doubted is the observer itself. But knowing this doesn't help to solve any of our real problems, because it is that very observer who experiences the problems, and desires a resolution to them. The enigma is this - that once we realize that the only certainty is the observing self, we then see with painful clarity that that self is completely powerless to effect a desired change. We are then left in the enigmatic state of being in existence, but existing in a world of unfulillable desires, unsolvable problems, and unquenchable needs.

Some would argue that they can indeed effect a desiredchange and that it is obvious that we all effect change in every action that we take. But that is simply a state of perception. That is the state of being inside the box of the self, which is merely a component of reality, and not existing in the reality of the whole, which is God.

The foundation of that false state of perception is a faulty concept of cause and effect. Everyone living inside the box of the self/ego/flesh percieves the events of their life as being the effect, and themselves as being the cause. Of course there are varying degrees of this; we all encounter events that can in no way be logically attributed to our own selves. But that's where false spirituality comes into play. Inside the box, even the things that are obviously not the effect of ourselves are still perceived to be so. We still get the feeling that extraneous circumstances are somehow purposefully designed for us as either a blessing or a curse - reward or consequence of our deeds. This is a dark and horrible state to live in. Everything in it is distorted, and truth is impossible to see.

The conclusion you might make about where I'm going with this is that God, and not ourselves, is the cause of our actions. This is where the breakdown happens, especially with (but not limited to) Christians. A terrifying picture arises here, where God exercises His will in the world by using us humans as puppets, sometimes without regard to our personal desires and needs. This suggests that we humans can do nothing to stop God from destroying our lives, and we can do nothing to persuade God (by good behavior, prayer, etc.) to bless our lives. This makes all regulative measures obsolete and unnecessary because if nothing we do makes any difference, then we might as well do anything we want to do anytime we please; no need to bother with living a virtuous life and avoid committing sin.

This breakdown presumes two things: one is that if left unchecked, we would most certainly resort to committing crimes just because that is what we all really want to do anyway. The second thing is that God does not wish to give us everything we want. Both of these presumptions are twisted and false. A third, and the most supreme false presumption of them all is that our desires originate within ourselves and are not only foreign to God's desires, but are the moral opposite of them; in other words, our desires are shameful and undeserving of fulfillment.

These presumptions are why the Christian religion has invented their ever so popular concept of free will. In it, God offers us a proposal to do His will, and we then make a choice whether to accept the proposal or reject it. If we reject it, we suffer the consequenses. If we accept it, we receive blessing. The ultimate proposal, chief of them all, is the proposal to do His will by accepting Christ (whatever that means). The consequence of rejecting that proposal is the most dire of them all. But this trumped up concept is cozy nevertheless, because it puts the power in mankind's hands. It is a security blanket which millions of people wrap themselves up in by resting in the delusion that they pressed the magic button; they said the magic words; and now they can go about thier lives and never give it a second thought other than to once in a while say the magic words and press the magic button again - just to be on the side of safety.

Saying that God is the cause of our actions is only saying it half way. The fullness of where I'm going with this is that God is the cause of us, and we are what we do. If I were to ask you the question, "who are you?" you would most likely start telling me information about yourself, like your name and where you live. But those aren't really answers to the question. Your name is simply something that you possess, and so is your home. Then you might tell me what your occupation is, but that isn't who you are - that's merely what you do. Possessing something (a name, a home) is an act, is it not? I could go on further with this, but you get my point. You are what you do - period. There is no distinction between you, the person, and you, the action. Even if all you ever did was lay in a bed asleep, that would still be who you are - the guy who does nothing but lay in bed asleep.

So, the cause is God....yes indeed it is. But the effect is not our actions, but rather it is our selves. You, and everything that you think, do, feel, and desire are all the result (effect). Nothing about you is the source (cause). Coming to this realization doesn't change anything about you except your perception and how you experience life. Nothing is lost when you relinquish free will, because it was never there to begin with. The only thing that is lost is the delusion, which is the sickness of mankind otherwise known as sin.

A problem is simply when a desired result cannot conceivably be achieved. It doesn't mean that a solution to the problem does not exist, though. For every problem, there does exist a solution. For every desire, there does exist a means of fulfillment. But problems still go unsolved, and desires unfulfilled. This is the proverbial box that I keep mentioning. And now I'll come to my title point.

Once you get past the debilitating perception that your desires originate within you and are shameful, you can then move on trusting God. God exists outside the box of limitations. "With God, all things are possible." When a problem arises, the first thing that should occur to you is that an easy solution does indeed exist. Now, since you don't see the easy solution, but you know it's there regardless, all you can do to achieve the desired result is to let God do it for you. This is what I mean by trusting outside the box. The real trust is to trust that what you want is also what God wants. He wants to accomplish the same ends that you do. Isn't that what is so great about knowing you are abiding in God's will? If you exist, then you are God's will. There's no way that you can not be in God's will. And if your desires are God's desires, then your problems are His as well. He wants to solve your problems, and He knows exactly how to do that. Trusting Him is how you are meant to operate.