Man creates his own environment

The other day, while doing outreach, I approached a man and he became very angry and told me that I was pushing my doctrine down his throat and I had no right to do so. He introduced himself as a staunch evolutionist and agnostic. He was aggressive in his words and not an easy person to talk to. I listened to him very patiently and at the end of our long conversation he was a lot more calm and even agreeing with me in many things. 

One of the things he said was: “I am a psychologist now and I know that people are the product of their own environment. If you were born a Muslim, you were a Muslim today, if you were born a Hindu you will be a Hindu, etc.” He also told me that he was born in a family of believers, his brother was a pastor in a church, and now he is an evolutionist and agnostic (which actually is the Greek word for ignorant.)

Is man the product of his own environment, only? What about our choices? 

The fact of the matter is that we are the product of our own choices and because of that we create our own environment. We teach our children our own beliefs (which are portrayed more in our actions than in our words). They naturally copy our good or bad behaviour in many ways. If later they are not satisfied with that, they will choose something else that goes with what they really want to be or what they found to be the truth. And by believing and acting in a certain way they create the environment in which they are comfortable, either good or bad. The environment where I was born was created by the people before me, now it’s my turn.

God, the Creator, created creators, like us. That’s the beauty of it all. He gave us the majesty of choice. And that’s a tough one because it also opens the door for evil to enter in the world when people make evil choices, (including us, so called “good” people that make our share of bad choices, and that’s why we need a Redeemer.)  But God preferred it that way instead of making all of us like robots without the possibility of choice. How could He get us to love Him if we were forced to do it?

Now, it doesn’t seem fair that people that want good in life and in the world have to suffer for the evil choices of some, but we know God and we know that He is all powerful and loving and this story has a very happy ending! That’s our hope and faith. 2Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.