Am I Willing To Be A Child Of God?

Only if one can opt out from being God's child can this question be entertained: Am I willing to be a child of God?  I pose the question not because one can choose an alternate Creator, but because whether one ought to behave  like a child of God is a worthwhile topic.

I am not a child psychologist (my two psychology courses were Introduction to Psychology and Abnormal Psychology) but I was a child once, so I speak only subjectively.  I remember when I was a small child, knowing only enough to make a few decisions, such as to move about and how fast I wanted to move myself.  The rest I had no control over, like when I needed food and sleep, and when I needed to go to the bathroom (those were decisions Mother Nature made), and what I would wear and how much to wear (those were decisions my nanny made even though my mother had the final say).  I was happy to be taken on an outing, not knowing where I would be going or how to get there.  I had put entire my life in the hands of my parents (I would not now).   I had no choice (now I do).

Having my parents making my decisions turned out fine.  I grew up.  The older I became the more I knew and the more control I was able to have over my life, refusing often to abide by the will of my parents (you know how that goes).  That is normal.
 
It is also normal not to abide by the Will of God for we are, after all, descendants of our first parents, Adam and Eve whose Original Sin (disobedience) we inherited, but that is only an excuse, for even sinners have choices.

Having choices means that we are not forced by Sin to reject the Will of God even though being completely obedient to the Will of God is challenging--not impossible-- for anyone not immaculately conceived [1].  Having choices also means that even when we are all grown up, we can still behave like children and do what we are asked to do.  That is precisely what God wants, for us to be children, follow God and do God's will.

You ask: "Why must we do what God wants when we can do whatever we want?  We have knowledge, we can think, we can reason, we can judge."  That is true, but how much do  we know, how well  can we think, how flawlessly  can we reason and how perfectly  can we judge when Sin is present in the Truth and confounds us?

Since we do not know everything and we cannot think of everything (we make mistakes), and we cannot reason perfectly and judge perfectly (we end up arguing and fighting), we are like children.  So how do we avoid mistakes, arguments and wars?

There is only one way, and that is to follow God, by following Christ.

On the night Jesus Christ was betrayed, He led without words.  His first step was humility.   Jesus humbled Himself by kneeling before His disciples with water ready to wash their feet.  Jesus then washed His disciples' feet, demonstrating charity of heart in the service of others.  Jesus' final step that night was love.  This Jesus showed His unconditional love by healing the servant of the high priest whose ear was cut off by one of His disciples. [2]

Following means being led.  To be led is to behave like children.  It is important to behave like children before Christ, to be led by Him  [3].  Even Jesus Himself had said, "unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." [4]  Thus, it is worthwhile to behave like a child of God, and be led to Heaven.



[1] The Blessed Virgin Mary (the Immaculate Conception) was, and still is, the only person conceived without Original Sin.  She was, and remains, completely obedient to the Will of God.
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2022:49-51&version=NIV
[3] The operative words are italicized because many act like children before Satan, willing to be led by It.  Satan is happy to grant to those willing to do anything, deceive, betray, kill (in essence, sell their souls) in return for power and control over others and the mechanisms that have enslaved the modern man on which he must rely in order to survive.
[4] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+18%3A3&version=ESV