Day 4 - June 14, 2011

Today I would like to start looking at the concept of Choice...

Choices have consequences, and sometimes small seemingly insignificant choices have huge consequences.

Take the old adage, Only YOU can prevent forest fires. According to http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/index.php as of June 14, 2011, year-to-date there are 32,320 wildfires in the US alone affecting 4,252,286 Acres. Another way to put it is that so far this year an area roughly the size of New Jersey has completely burned from wildfires.

We all know the devastation that occurs when a fire gets out of control, and we also know that a forest fire starts from a small spark. The adage, Only YOU can prevent forest fires, alludes to the fact that our actions may seem insignificant but can make a huge impact not only in your own life but also in the life of others.

James 3:5

New International Version (NIV)

⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

In the same way, only YOU can Choose Righteousness. The Lord in His wisdom gave us the awesome responsibility to choose. We must choose wisely, because our choices have eternal consequences. We can either choose righteousness or un-righteousness. We can choose to do Good or to do Evil. It really is that simple. However, please allow me to complicate the simplicity of the previous statements. We can never do enough good to be righteousness. We are called by God to choose righteousness, to pursue righteousness, but we can only be credited with righteousness through the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, for those that believe that righteousness is not important, or that we can go on sinning, relying on God's Grace to cover a multitude of wrongs. I would say that you are playing with fire, you see Jesus as your fire fighter, so you think that you can sit on a mountain of kindling and play with matches. Do you think that you can mock God, do you think that you can play with fire and God will not allow you to get burned to teach you a lesson. God promises to teach us lessons through trails, He loves us enough to discipline us.

Mark 9:43

New International Version (NIV)

⁴³ If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.

Please be honest with yourselves and know that what we do matters. Think of this paradigm, no choice, or doing nothing at all, is actually a choice.

Joshua 24:15

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁵ But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

Some of you may have seen the diagram below. Or experienced it in you lives.

Ok you can only choose two, clever. The reality in life is that you can only choose ONE. Here is one example:

Luke 16:13

New International Version (NIV)

   ¹³ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

So in this example there are two choices however there is only one correct choice. Here is a second example:

It is still unfathomable to me that some people believe that there is a choice when it comes to the life of an unborn child. But, for argument sake, parents have two choices when it comes to the life of their child, and clearly there is only ONE correct choice. I Choose LIFE! In fact, we should all call our parents right now and thank them for making the right choice. 


Sometimes we just need to put our choices in the right context to evaluate the real consequences. 


I recently heard a story from a doctor who shared this true story. A mother with a 9 month old child found out that she was pregnant. She went to her doctor and explained that the pregnancy came as a shock and she does not want her children so close in age. Her solution was simple, just terminate the pregnancy. The doctor listened to his patient and responded in this way. Why don't you bring in your 9 month old and we can terminate their life so that you won't have two children so close in age. The mother was mortified and with a moral indignation exclaimed that's just wrong. The doctor then made his follow up point that what she was proposing was the exact same thing. Thankfully, the mother chose to keep the baby. 


Choices made today effect who we will become in the future. Each new day is a blessing from God because we have the opportunity to turn it all around for the good. Choose wisely my friends. 

Acts 14:15

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁵ “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.