Today’s scriptures are about making the best choices in life. The great thing about life is that we have choices. One of the gifts and curses of "The tree of knowledge of good and evil", was that it gave us the ability to make sound decisions. Once Adam and Eve made the choice to eat from that tree, they were given the knowledge of the ways of the world, and the ability to choose which way that they wanted to go. This rule is still in place, but the problem is, our flesh is so weak that we often choose the evil over the good. Although we now have the gift of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus as our intercessor, which makes our choices a little easier, we are still susceptible to choosing evil. Knowing the God we serve, we don't have to choose evil, we just do--it's just as accessible to choose to do good, and be good as it is to do evil. This takes effort and discipline, which requires work and dedication. There are so many people who dwell on how difficult living a righteous life is, but most things are difficult at first. We have to build a relationship with Christ. Since we were born in sin, and have sinful natures naturally, we have to allow the conformation from sinner to Saint to happen. Each day we're given on this earth, we have to live on purpose, and actively seek the face of the Lord. When we're doing that, above all else, righteousness will come.
I can testify to this personally, because only God knows how much fighting we had to do for me to get here. It reminds me of when Jacob wrestled with God--I wrestled with Him for many years. The wonderful thing about this story is that Jacob kept fighting, it's written: When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (Gen 32: 25-26) Jacob wouldn't let go, even after his hip was out of socket, but waited until he received a blessing from God. Jacob left there with physical pain, but his heart was healed. I was saved at a very young age, maybe nine or ten years old, and I was baptized on my 15th birthday, but after that I didn't attend church regularly. I didn't care for or nourish this new relationship that I'd entered into, so I didn't know how to be righteous. Sure I felt God's calling on my life, and the Holy Spirit's warnings when I was about to make the wrong choices, but ignored them, because of ignorance. I always felt like I was wrestling with something, but I never knew what it was. I knew that I wanted to do the right thing, and live a better life, but I never knew how or why, I just felt like I was in this battle against myself. Have you ever felt that way?
It wasn't until about six years ago when God finally took my "hip out of socket". I was physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotional disabled. I was in so much pain that I couldn't get out of bed in the morning, yet I felt God's calling, but I just kept making the wrong decisions. It wasn't until I figured out that I wasn't alone, and that this thing that I was wrestling wasn't the devil, it was God. It wasn't until I understood that just like Jacob, I had the option to tell God, "I'm not letting go until you bless me". I finally understood what Jesus preached about at the Sermon on the Mount, when He said do not worry. I learned how to cast my cares on the Lord, as the Apostle Paul preached so diligently. I learned that I didn't have to let go of the fact that I wanted righteousness yet couldn't quite achieve it on my own, because that could only happen if I surrendered to Christ. The choices I made were made because I hadn't stood up and taken my right place in the Kingdom of God. When God revealed all of these things to me I was far from perfect, and was terrible at making the right choices. The best choice I have ever made in life was to completely follow Christ, flaws and all. Even though I enjoyed partying with my girlfriends two to three times a week, and I drank just because it was Tuesday--despite the fact that I still smoked a pack of cigarettes every other day, and my marriage was falling apart--I still choose God, and never gave up. I fell down, but I got right back up, and kept pushing forward in Christ.
At this point, I told God that I wasn't letting go until I was blessed with wisdom and knowledge to make better choices, and He did just that. It didn't happen overnight, but it happened more quickly than I realized. I was still limping around though life, because I was broken, and in the process of being healed, but I noticed that each day, when I prayed, meditated, and sought righteousness, I got a little better. I no longer wanted the cigarettes, and being drunk was no longer fun. Instead of enjoying myself at the clubs, I started feeling out of place, and analyzing and praying for all of the young women and men that were making really bad choices. I began to yearn for anything righteous, and was drawn to positive activities, and other like-minded people. These changes didn't happen until I finally let go of the old life that God had been slowly leading me away from, and allowed Him to bring me to where He needed me to be. I am still very much a work in progress, but if you can take a look at where I came from, to where I am now, I am a living and breathing testimony to the fact that if God changed me, He can change anyone.
I am so indecisive that choices usually make me anxious, only because I know that if I make the wrong choice I may fail. However, in most day to day decisions, it isn't that hard to choose good over evil. Remember, we have the knowledge thanks to Adam and Eve; we just have to hone those skills. Satan is crafty and wise, and he'll do what he can to throw us off, but "Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world". Our Savior Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price so that He could be with us every step of the way, and make our choice that much easier. If you don't know Jesus as Lord, or aren't sure, then that's the most important decision you will ever make in your life. Please take a few moments to take the God Quiz right now! My favorite verse today is: Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed: and make you a new heart and a new spirit. (Ezekiel 18:31)
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