Consider…
I’m taking an educated guess, if you will, that my ones of readers are well versed in literature, particularly 19th century poetry. To that end, I’m sure y’all are familiar with Invictus, written by William Ernest Henley. This is the final stanza:
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.
With all due respect to Billy H, that’s what I call him, we are not the final captains of our souls. We exercise what we deem to be control over our lives, but on the Day of Judgment, we will find out that we have lived as mutinous pirates. To look at it another way, we are infinitely outranked by the heavenly Commander in Chief. To use my analogy, we certainly do have the freedom to think and act as we please, but the Lord has an unfettered easement in our lives. Fighting His domain and providence is futile.
Kicking against the goads.
Live and breathe and have our being.