Freedom

God doesn't want us to harm each other, but he gives us the freedom to do so.

We can choose to benefit each other, or we can choose to hurt each other.  I go about my daily life, and I try to be kind to others, or at least keep my bad thoughts to myself.  However, I could, at any moment, choose to hurt someone else.  I could hurt them emotionally or physically.  I could do anything, and God, most likely, would not stop me.  Why?  He won't stop me because he gives me free will.  He lets me choose my path and my actions - good or bad.

In a vacuum, that's no problem, but we don't live in a vacuum.  My actions cause reactions.  What I do will usually impact someone else.  It's like we're a bunch of marbles pinging around and hitting each other.  Unfortunately, sometimes we crack or destroy the other marbles, which wouldn't be a big deal if those marbles weren't actually people.

We are cracked or destroyed when people do any number of terrible things.  As humans, we can kill one another, rape one another, lie to one another, steal from one another, gossip about one another, abuse one another, and on and on.  We have the capacity to do unspeakable things to those around us, and God gives us that free will.  He doesn't do that because he is bad or because he wants those things.  He gives us free will, and he asks us to choose what is right, but he doesn't force us.  It's our choice.  It's up to us.

You can choose to murder others by setting bombs and blowing them up at public gatherings.  You can choose to kill innocent children by going into their school and shooting them down.  You can choose to deliver live babies in your clinic and then sever their spinal cords in order to get rid of them.  You can choose to do all those things, but you can also choose to do none of those things.  Instead, you can choose to shield, and heal, and care for others.  You can choose to love others.  You can choose to protect the lives of those with whom you share this earth.

With our free will, those are the things we should choose.  Those are the things that God wants us to choose.  Therefore, let us choose godliness.  Let us choose everything that is good, and holy, and righteous.

I also believe that it is not our natural inclination to do good.  I believe that we are less than perfect, and therefore, we tend to think about what will benefit us the most.  This leads to selfishness and selfish actions big and small, but it doesn't have to end there.  We can ask God to help us.  We can ask him to help us love, care for, protect, promote, uphold, maintain, heal, save, and uplift those around us.  If we ask, he will help us.  If we seek him, he will answer.

So, for real, we need to seek him.  We need to ask for help.  We need to say, God, help me love you with everything I have, and help me love others as myself.  That's what he wants, so I can guarantee he'll give us a hand.