“Making the Right Choice”
By
Jeannine Sawall
“There
is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”
Proverbs
14:12 (NIV)
So much is written about
hope, about change, and the many promises we receive as believers. We can find
devotionals filled with writings about suffering and desperation, relationships
and marriage, children and even pets. We can find devotionals relating to
hobbies, sports and friendships. But there are few, if any, devotional
books that cover sin and the responsibility of personal choice. Those books
would probably be found at the half-price bookstore in the dollar bin! When it
comes to sin, we don’t want to be reminded that we had a choice in the matter.
That we are the ones who decided to head our own way and do our own thing. That
we are the ones who said “yes,” when we should have said “no.”
We can find countless
examples of biblical heroes who suffered the consequences of going their own
way. Abraham and Sarah, David, Sampson, Jacob and Rachel. Each of these people
made a choice to take a path independent of God. Each of them focused on his or
her own way. Each of them decided his or her way was better than God’s way. Each
of them had to pay the cost of that choice.
Any time our focus
moves from looking for God and fixates on “me,” we can be sure we are going to
make choices that take us down the path of disappointment and destruction. Any
time we make demands of God or tell Him what He must do, we can be certain we
will be heading in the wrong direction. Any time we make a choice without
involving God in the decision-making process, we can be certain we are heading
toward disaster. It’s a pretty straightforward equation, even if it’s not a
popular equation. Choices made without alignment with God and His ways bring us
into sin.
Our choices have
consequences. When we forge ahead and make those choices independently, we
can’t look back in regret and ask God, “Where were you?” or, “Why did you allow
this to happen?” We need to realize we have left God behind and take
responsibility for our sin. However, in that next moment, we can confess our
sin and be reconciled by the grace of God. The lesson is to then make sure that
the next time we are faced with a choice, we invite God to be a part of the
decision-making process.
Seeking God in all
things is always the right choice!
GOING DEEPER:
1. What choices are you
making where you need to stop and invite the Lord to be a part of them?
FURTHER READING:
Jeannine
is a wife and mother of four active boys. She works in the property management
business. Jeannine serves in the Oakwood Café on Wednesday nights, and is
actively involved in ministry to those walking through grief.
