Choices….
[box] God could have made us robots, marching to His heart, forced to love completely, obeying from the start. Instead He made us separate, with built-in modes for choice, so love would prove more precious when we finally hear His voice…[/box]
I wrote this as a young teen in the trenches of a choices…
I was the girl who believed if someone didn’t like her, there was something terribly wrong with her.
Have you ever met someone who was so insecure about relationships that she sometimes controlled, manipulated, and strangled them?
Love, by nature, can’t be forced; it necessitates choice.
To love God or not to love God;
That is the question.
Can you think of a more important decision? A greater freedom?
Every day we must choose: Will I say “yes” to God or “no.”
I said “yes” to Him when I was four, but many times my actions said, “No thanks, God. I know what you told me, but I’d rather go my own way on this one.”
True confidence and security comes from trusting God’s way is always best.
Today I cling to these truths:
- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” Proverbs 1:7
- “To fear the LORD is to hate evil.” Proverbs 8:13
- “But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.” 1 Corinthians 11:31,32
To grow in Christ, we must choose to hate sin. We must choose to hate it in ourselves more than we hate it in others.
If you’re like me, you’re incensed when people hurt people. You even hope God teaches them lessons ~ those losers!
What would happen if we held the same kind of intolerance for our own sins?
Here’s a verse that ought to stop us in our tracks if not slow us in them:
[box] “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1-2[/box]
Grace.
By choice, Jesus took care of our sin problem. Today, when we hear His voice, will we seize His power to love, or will we cave to the satanic hissings that snake into our garden to destroy it?
The beautiful choice is up to us.
Would you tell us about the day you chose to follow Christ OR
could you share a Scripture that would help others say “yes” to Christ in the midst of everyday temptations?
I will randomly choose a winner from the comments below to receive a free copy of A Friend in the Storm!
More on The Fear of The Lord.
Excellent post! The choice to quite simple but it’s ramifications boil down to choosing life over death. Satan is a deceiver by nature and crafty at tempting us to choose evil, although it’s never presented as such. That’s part of the deception. But, choosing to serve God opens up the world of truth to us and exposes the lies of the enemy, whose ultimate goal is to destroy our souls. Everyday we are faced with choices, big and small; choices that can make a difference between living and dying. Choose you this day whom you will serve…Joshua 25:15.
Excellent comment and Scripture, Ibelisse! Choices can be tough, but when we’re aware of the consequences spawned from bad ones, we’re more likely to make right ones.
I’m glad I chose to tackle the topic of “sin” in my comfort gift book “A Friend in the Storm” because it helps answer the questions, “why would a good and loving God allow this to happen?” and “why do we live in a fallen world?”
It’s only by exposing sin and darkness that we can catch a life-changing glimpse of God’s incomparable love ~ and experience it ~ our greatest comfort!!
His love caused him to choose death in our stead, to destroy the works of the enemy, to give us the power to choose Him and righteousness every day and yes, yes, choose heaven, where sin, death, and suffering will be bye bye, zippo zap… gone forever!
Thanks for the pingback to my website! Blessings on your book! Have a blessed Sunday:)
My pleasure, Amanda! Blessings on your book as well!!
We would like to think that life will just turn out the way we hope without considering our choices. It seems the biggest choice truly is whether we choose to believe the truth that we are made in the image of God and made for worship. The Deceiver always deals in lies.
True: Satan wants us to believe anything but the truth.
Thanks for the reminder that we were made for worship.
I think Satan’s biggest lie is that God doesn’t love us, and that we can’t take Him at His Word.
Thanks for stopping by, Kay!
Congratulations, Kay! Your name was drawn to win a free copy of A Friend in the Storm!
I just left you an email.
God bless!
When Jesus is being tempted by the devil by scripture Jesus himself untwists the scripture and uses it against the devil. I think this portion would help others say “yes” to God.
Thanks David!
Can you imagine how effective we Christians would be if we always chose to wear our Spiritual armor? We be extinguishing the fiery flames of the enemy left and right!
I think we all have to choose to say “yes” to God each day. Some days are easier than others. Life is not so easy as to have a road map to follow, we need to listen to the voice of the Lord and obey.
Thanks Diane,
Your comment leads me to pray:
Lord, please help me to say “yes” to you today ~ not just in all the big obvious areas, but also in the small grey areas. Help me to seek your will and your way, to seek the most selfless answers, and to pour out myself for your Kingdom today. In Jesus’ name!