"Choices" Just think… Choice, not chance, determines human destiny.—Jean Nidetch Read this… Every day of our lives we are faced with literally hundreds of choices. Walk into the door of your local supermarket. Talk about choices! In most of these stores, you’ll find varieties of cheese, breads and flavors of coffee. Stroll down to a mall, you will find different boutiques. You want to purchase a book? Go to Amazon for literally millions of titles—new or used. Break out the iPod and you can play 20,000 songs, view 25,000 images, or watch 100 hours of video. There are way too many choices! Now, what I eat or drink probably won’t have many long-lasting implications (except for having to let my clothes out because of the food I ate). But there are significant, transforming choices we make in life, as well as the most important choice of all … the choice to follow Jesus. The pages of the Bible are filled with the stories of men and women who made choices that impacted the course of their lives. Moses chose to help his fellow Jews rather than acquire the fame and fortune of Egypt (Hebrews 11:24-26). Daniel chose to eat vegetables rather than the unclean meat on the king of Babylon’s banquet table (Daniel 1:8-20). Each of these choices became major crossroads in the lives of these individuals. What happened in those moments of decision would set the course for the rest of their lives. Moses and Daniel came to a dividing of the trails and took the right paths. But what about those who made bad choices at the parting of the ways? The Bible doesn’t shy away from describing the consequences. Adam’s choice cost him Paradise (Genesis 3:17-24). King Saul’s choice cost him his kingdom (1 Samuel 15:10-23). Judas’s choice cost him his apostleship and his life (Matthew 27:3-6). We make our decisions … and then our decisions make us. God cares deeply about the choices we make in the course of our lives. As human beings created in His image, we have a free will. Because He loves us, God wants us to make decisions that will lead us toward success and joy and fruitfulness in our lives on Earth, and then into His presence for eternity after we pass from this life. Paul told his young friend Timothy to “flee youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22). Those are two important choices: Flee and follow. First, “flee youthful lusts.” The Apostle Paul is simply saying, “Stay away from places and people that would have a spiritually destructive effect in your life.” Paul not only tells us what not to do, but he tells us what to do in its place, namely, to follow: “Pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” What kind of choices are you making in your life? What kind of people are you spending the most time with? What do you do with your time? What do you think about the most? These are choices we all make. Maybe you are at a crossroads in your life. You know the right way to go, but there is that shortcut that looks tempting. Be careful! We make our decisions, and then our decisions make us. As Joshua told Israel, “Choose this day whom you will serve!” (Joshua 24:15). I encourage you to choose well. (“Choosing well,” adapted from an article by Greg Laurie) Make the best choice of all by choosing to love God with all your heart and soul and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself! (Matthew 22:37-39). It’s a choice that comes with eternal rewards both for you and for others. The Lord wants your heart, plus your love, plus as much of yourself as you’re willing to give Him. In return, He’s got eternal life, heavenly rewards, and everlasting joy and fulfillment. And, as you love your neighbors as yourself—and give them the gift of eternal life as it was given to you—they’ll join you in experiencing the wonders and glories of Heaven. So make good choices by making the ones that further eternity. Do something every day to pass on Heaven in some way. The things of Earth that take so much time now, and sometimes cause you so much worry and concern, will be gone one day, as well as all the labor you’ve invested in them. You can’t take these things with you. The things that you do for love and for Heaven will live on forever, though. You can take those things with you, and when you see how the Lord rewards you for everything you’ve done for Him, you’ll be amazed! Choose to make an eternal difference! Love, witness, and win others to Jesus. Pray and praise and give and grow for Jesus. Choose to follow Him and obey His Word in the year ahead, and it will be a very happy year indeed, both for you and for many others—and not just for next year, but for eternity! More from God’s Word… Joshua 24:15a Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:133 Direct my steps by Your word. James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. My Prayers - Making the right choice isn’t always easy, so I ask for Your strength, Jesus, to enable me to make the right decisions—both the big and little ones. And if there are areas of my life where I’m not making the best choices right now—whether in my friendships, or in how I spend my free time, or in my reactions to confrontation, etc.—please highlight these areas to me, and show me what choices I should be making instead.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Jul 2013 22:01:01 +0000
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