If God loves us and wants us to have free will then why can we not disagree with him, not in the sense of “thou shalt not kill” but like we do with our parents? Our parents may have our lives planned out for us and we choose another path but, most of the time, they still love us and do not punish us.

God DOES love us. He not only wants us to have free will but he created us with the capacity and freedom to make our own choices. We are free to disagree with him about anything, even in the sense of “thou shalt not kill.” But when we disagree with God it’s not like disagreeing with our parents because God created everything and knows everything. If he says 2+4=6 but we disagree and say it’s 9, then we are wrong. If he says murder, stealing or slandering is evil and we say, sure unless they have it coming to them, then we are wrong. However, if he gifted you with the skills and talent to play music and you decided to become a doctor you wouldn’t be committing a sin. He doesn’t require us to go into one profession and not another, to take one job or another. He requires us to love others and honor him no matter what we do.

There is a moral law with clear lines of right and wrong, notwithstanding a million circumstances where the morality of a decision is hard to discern. The point is, as long as we stay away from dishonesty, hate, sexual immorality and the like we are pretty much free to do whatever we want. Or, put positively: Love God, love one another, and enjoy life!

In other words, though God is intimately involved in our lives and wants what’s best for us. He is not a control freak or a micromanager. He calls us to trust him but he’s also willing to trust us. How can God trust a human being? He gives his Spirit to those who trust him, sometimes referred to as the Spirit of Wisdom, who guides us from within. This guidance is primarily accomplished through a transformation of our character so that we begin to make decisions from a changed heart, mind and attitude toward God, others and life. Sometimes the Spirit gives us specific direction. But usually he develops in us wisdom so that we can make good decisions.

Speaking of decisions, I’m sure we could agree that among our options in life, even among perfectly acceptable moral choices, there are good choices and better choices, bad choices and worse choices. Wouldn’t it be reasonable to consult the One who designed everything, who knows everything and has your best interest in mind? If we begin by conforming our lives to his standards of right and wrong (which are not simply his opinion but the reality of the world he made) we will have already eliminated a lot of unnecessary difficulty and regret. But then wouldn’t it feel good to know that if we just walk in obedience to God’s moral law we can have the freedom to succeed, to fail, and to grow from our experiences without condemnation, guilt or regret?