Who is Writing the Script?

For you will certainly carry out God’s purpose, however you act, but it makes a difference to you whether you serve like Judas or like John.   

 CS Lewis

Each of us has been given the opportunity to live a life of fulfillment and purpose, a life with direction. We each were given one chance to make the most of the opportunities presented to us and to write a story that we are proud of. However, the ultimate question is, are we handed a blank slate and told to paint or are we handed a painting and given the option of what to do with it. This question focuses on the idea of free will and determinism and which one truly rules the decisions that make up our lives. As we can see, CS Lewis believes that God has laid out a purpose for our lives and a direction and he has given us the option of how we want to live out that purpose. This belief takes on a mixture of determinism and free will, which is in align with what I believe to be true of our choices.

The different beliefs of who determines our lives and what variables shape our decisions affect the way our culture is shaped and how music, art, technology, and consumerism are portrayed. For example, what is the motivation behind Apple’s constant drive for new technology and the latest innovation? What motivates artists to write the music they do or build the brand that they do? Often times we hear musicians reference their faith or attribute their success to a higher power. This action supports the idea of determinism that God has chosen this for them and they are especially grateful for this opportunity. I believe God has given these musicians the talent and the musicians themselves took that talent and decided to follow the gifts that God gave them to bless others- a mixture of determinism and free will. There is so much power in seeing musicians or artists or geniuses use the talents they have given for the greater good and watch them reap the benefits of following this path.

This thought of determinism and free will has affected the way I view my life more than I anticipated it would. I never really thought about why I make the decisions I do or who is actually writing the script in my life until I was given the opportunity to think deeper about it. The Adjustment Beauru really struck a chord with me because it brought to life having someone completely control your life and choosing to go against that. After evaluating free will and determinism I have come to conclude that God has planned out a story for us and has written a script for our lives. We have the opportunity to follow that path and make it our own as we glorify Him. As long as each step we take is working towards the greater goal of serving him, which is his will. So a life mixed with determinism and free will seems to make the most sense to me and allows me to cerate a life I am proud of while walking in the way that the Lord has set out for me.