The Invention must Defer To The Inventor

“JOD. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.” (Ps 119:73 AV)

Note the strong definition of origination and purpose.  God has made us.  We did not make ourselves.  It is interesting I was musing on this prior to my devotions.  I was thinking of all the excused people give to justify why they live the way they do.  Self-determination seems to be the answer.  However, self-determination is governed by purpose for creation.  Those wishing to redefine their very existence by changing their purpose are completely delusional.  A fish cannot redefine itself as a worm simply because it chooses to.  The fish did not make itself.  A bird cannot redefine itself as a lion, no matter how hard it desires.  He was created a bird.  Setting the physical impossibility aside, even if it were physically possible to change one’s existence, the principle of origination and purpose come into play.  I did not make myself.  There was nothing I did to be here.  My parents were instrumental in my existence.  But even they could not control the exact person I would become.  According to some researchers, you and I have a one in one million of a chance to be the person we are.  We are that unique.  If we did nothing to be here, then there must be a higher authority as to what we must become.  If we did nothing to determine our existence, then the purpose for it lies outside of ourselves.  This is the writer’s point.  God has fashioned me for His purpose.  Therefore, it is prudent and ethical to ask Him to teach me that purpose.

It is interesting how much we pay attention to this principle when it doesn’t directly involve and infringement on our self-determination.  We had to get a new iron.  Our old one went the way of all flesh.  Per my father-in-law’s mentoring, I read the instructions.  I read all the safety points.  Most of them were common sense.  Never put a plugged in appliance in water.  Duh.  Wait until it is cooled completely before you move it.  Of course.  Fill it only to the line printed on the outside.  No kidding!  Who needs to read an instruction manual, anyway?  However, in reading the manual, I learned the proper way to use the self-clean option on this model.  The iron is to use distilled water, filled to the maximum, and them heated up to a medium setting.  Then the user is to unplug it, put the iron horizontal, and press the clean button until all the water stops flowing.  This differs slightly from other irons I have used.  Who are they to tell me how to use this iron?  After all, I bought it.  It belongs to me!  Do they not understand that I have feelings?  Don’t they understand I have a brain?  After all, if I have to drain it, that means I need to be by a sink. And that sink can have water in it!  Isn’t that contradictory?  What makes these engineers think they are smarter than me?  After all, I have more education than they do!  Yet, there is a common statement at the end of the manual.  It says that failure to follow these safety instructions would violate any warranty and would absolve the manufacture of any and all liability.

All tongue in cheek, of course. But that is exactly how we live our lives.  Who is God to think I can know better than me what is best for me?  Our beloved psalmist puts our existence in perfect definition.  God made us.  He made us for a purpose.  Therefore, He would have the instruction manual necessary for our lives.  We are not our own.  If we are a child of God, we are bought with a price.  We are not our own.  We never were.  God gives us the ability of self-determination.  This self-determination comes with limits.  I cannot wish to cease to exist.  My soul will carry on into eternity.  I cannot chose to cease to exist.  I cannot choose to escape the circumstances of my choices.  I cannot choose to be something that is impossible for me to be.  I can wear a lion costume and wander the African safari.  But that doesn’t give me the ability to run down a gazelle, strangle it with my bite, and eat raw meat.  We are made in the image of God.  God made us to know Him, to obey Him, to trust Him, and to glorify Him.  If we don’t like those terms, too bad!  We did nothing to get here, and we have no right of ownership that trumps God’s claim.  The prudent thing to do is to read the instruction manual that came with the product.