Choose
Wisely
But if serving the LORD seems
undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will
serve…
Joshua 24:15
Jane was tired of always having to be
sure she made the right choice. How can I possibly hope to do the
right thing every time?!
Talking to a friend about her plight,
she asked, “There’s so much that appears to be okay on the
surface, yet once you peel away the outer layer it’s not what it
seems. How do you keep from making the wrong choices, Connie?”
Connie smiled, “I don’t.”
Seeing Jane’s amazement she qualified
her statement, “It’s not that I don’t try to make the right
decision; I do, but we all make mistakes. I’m no different than
you.”
Jane posed an incomplete question,
“So…?”
Sensing the direction Jane was heading
she asked, “Do you mean, how do I know if I’m doing the right
thing?” Getting a nod she formed her response carefully, “First,
I ask God for His thoughts on the matter when time allows. He always
gives me good advice. Split-second decisions I trust to the Holy
Spirit’s ability to give me discernment; if it doesn’t feel
right, I don’t do it. But here’s my litmus test:
Ultimately, God gives me the right to choose for myself, so I ask,
‘How will what I do affect my relationship with Jesus?’ and
immediately I am faced with the truth. It’s the best spiritual
barometer I’ve ever encountered.”
†
God gave us free will for a reason. He
knows what perfect love is. He understands it cannot be forced upon
anyone; we must choose to love. For this reason He did not create
automatons with their receivers transfixed to an exclusive frequency;
we have options.
And the choices we make will determine
whether we experience joy or sorrow.
When Joshua wrote today’s text he
meant exactly what he said, It’s our choice.
Bringing our will under control is our
responsibility. That is why it’s called choosing.
Our will…Our choice. God will not
intervene. Choose wisely.
Prayer
“LORD, rid
me of myself; I belong to You. I want to obey You alone. Show me what
is right when I’m confused and encourage me as I bring my will
under control by submitting to Yours. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
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