What choices will you make today? Some matter little like the clothes you pull from the closet or the brand of fuel you put into your car. Some seem small but have larger consequence like the kind of food you put into your mouth or the words you say. The inescapable fact is that today’s choices are the foundation of the life you will live tomorrow.
That high school student who shows up for class, does assignments on time, and engages with her education gains far more than knowledge. She learns disciplines that will serve her well in college or in her job. The husband who takes time for the little considerate words and acts in his marriage strengthens a relationship for a lifetime. The person who disciplines himself to regular saving instead of spending every penny he earns creates a resource that will serve him well in leaner days.
Before I continue let me offer this caution. Life is complex with all kinds of influences overlapping in our day to day lives! We are not machines and a straight line of cause and effect is often outside of our discernment. Bad things happen to good people without explanation.
Bev, my late wife, was
always careful about what she ate, never drank or smoked, got regular rest, and
lived a generally healthy life yet in her 59th year, ovarian cancer
developed in her body that ended her life at age 61. There is no discernable
reason for that cancer to occur, but it did.
I have known the best and most devoted of parents who raised rebels. Business owners must deal with economic
factors that are outside of their control. That is why we resist judgment of
others!
However, the general principle that we harvest a crop of the seed we plant remains true! We are foolish to think otherwise.
Love prompts love.
Generosity invites generosity.
Kindness gives rise to kindness.
Investment brings reward.
(Most of the time!)
Are you living in a way that creates the probability of a
richer, fuller life in the future?
Are the choices you are making laying a foundation of health, wholeness, and
prosperity?
The Proverb reminds us that "The wisdom of the
prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception."
(Proverbs 14:8, NIV) God gives us the gift
of choice, the ability to think, to look down the road, to adjust our course of
action. How tragic is the life of the person who lives only in reaction to what
comes their way rather than taking action to shape their life around the best
and the beautiful.
Nowhere is this more important than in our spiritual life.
In Jesus there is an offer of ‘life to the full,’ an ‘abundant life’ that can
be experienced by those who will follow Him faithfully. That is why we are
invited to be ‘disciples.’ Disciples are, by definition, people who give themselves
away in service, who set aside self-will to adopt the plan and purpose of Jesus!
Short-term those choices can be very
costly to us.
Consider this challenge - “Enter
through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads
to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the
road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-15, NIV) It’s easy to drift with life’s current, isn’t
it? The lure of comfort and today’s
reward can obscure the promise of tomorrow’s reward. That is why Jesus calls the path to the life
of the Spirit a narrow one. He demands our intentions, requires pursuit, and His
will is discovered only by those who are willing to seek it.
Remember this. The way of the Spirit, the life of Christ, is not a fearful one, nor is it found in a ‘holier than thou’ attitude towards others. Some think that to be godly makes one mean, judgmental, and close-minded. What a deception. The truth is that the disciple is living an adventure. In Christ we find what is of greatest value - love, joy, peace, and eternal life.
Here is a word from the Word. I am using The Message, a contemporary
paraphrase today. Meditate on the challenge, then make the choice for life!
"This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid,
grave-tending life.
It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next,
Papa?”
God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are.
We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and
children.
And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable
inheritance!
We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times
with him,
then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him! "
(Romans 8:15-17, The Message)
So, what important choice do you need to make today?
(Video of this blog at this link)
____________________
Worthy of ev'ry song we could ever sing
Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring
Worthy of ev'ry breath we could ever breathe
We live for You
Jesus the name above ev'ry other name
Jesus the only one who could ever save
Worthy of ev'ry breath we could ever breathe
We live for You
We live for You
Holy there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me in Your love to those around me
I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken
Brett Younker | Karl Martin | Kirby Kaple | Matt Redman | Pat Barrett
© 2016 Kaple Music; Capitol CMG Genesis; Housefires Sounds; Said And Done Music; sixsteps Music; Thankyou Music; Vamos Publishing; worshiptogether.com songs; Martin, Karl Andrew; Bethel Music Publishing
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
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