If you are busy on cause and effect, how does free will come into it, unless you believe God is this cosmic chess player to all that happens. Quoting scripture to affirm this position can be done, but so can scripture be shown that it is not as you have shown as well.
If God does pull all the strings, I'm curious why give the Holy Spirit to guide one, when it is within His purview to have His will done without us even realizing it? See how one can come up with question after question and still have no satisfactory answer to what is happening in your life. You could just as easily be doing actions, that are self-fulfilling which make it appear that external forces are at work...
Still, I guess since I'm up there in age and when I was younger, I was just too busy living life, so that now I do not give it a thought on the control factors of my life outside of trying to be pleasing to God. Still, am I as successful in this endeavor as I'd like to be? That would be a resounding no! Do, I blame God for that. That would be hubris on my part indeed!
I'm curious, how is your success rate, or are you like I am at times, yanking at the bit in my mouth, by seeking to do my own thing, which usually moves me in the opposite direction of what God desires for me, which is what is best for His children? I have a few knots in the back of my head to show my own stubbornness lol
Eventually, you come to realize that arguing with God, about this or that, and going your own way doesn't work out for your betterment at all. He's allowed me to see that very thing, and yet when it hits the fan, He's still there, and doesn't even say, I told you so! I'm usually telling it to myself of course! lol But am I glad He didn't leave me without a Comforter!
All of this (our discussion) is a curiosity to me, because once I acknowledged not being my own creator...well, knowing that above all else, has filled me with wonder, and at times fear as well throughout the years. As I near the end of this life (or new beginning if you will) I am filled more with wonder then anything else.
How do you do, sir in this endeavor of yours, in battling with God, your Creator? When you are so concerned with what percentage of your life is being controlled/influenced by God, and other powers/principalities which intrude upon you almost continually? Or do you not believe in free will, and see yourself as but a temporal shell to be moved around like a chess piece? One can always come up with questions, as you can see in my response to you, but many of them, in truth, should be irrelevant to the life you are leading with Jesus or without Him for that matter. For it is all tied to what you believe to be the beacon in your life.
Know one thing and that is scripture is nice to quote, but can one truly understand them without the help of the Holy Spirit? I truly believe you'll not have understanding without Him guiding you by knowing right from almost right. Even Satan quoted scripture, and it made him no more right when he did so then most people who seek understanding without Jesus in their lives.
Now to ramble a bit more...gosh, the influences in one's life can be many, but that doesn't necessarily speak to not being in control of the actions we take because of them. Like we would never...Accepting responsibility is probably one of the toughest hurdles to have to overcome. It's easier to blame God, then allow our pride to be hurt thinking just maybe, it's our fault. We as men are not good with eating humble pie. Even when we do, we don't really like it!
Anyway, I could go on and on in this vein, but I figure you've got my drift from what you've provided me in your response. Just look at each one contextually. And I want to believe instead of Proverbs 15:221, you meant 15:22 instead. If you'd like I can edit it for you, so that you'd be accurate in the quoting of them.
God bless you and yours.
With the Love in Christ Jesus, dear seeker.
YBIC/Moderator
Nick
\o/
P.S. I hope I made a little sense...before dragging these tired bones to bed! Don't let life pass you by!
