6 Aug

Choices

posted by Lisa Huddleston

… choose for yourselves today the one you will worship…. Joshua 24:15

Choice is a very powerful thing. We can choose to sing or to moan, to rejoice or to complain, to act in faith or to fear, to bless or to curse, to encourage or to tear down, to live or to die … so many choices and so much power contained in each one. We know it’s true. Or do we? The proof is in the pudding, as the saying goes, and we often live as though we have no power of choice at all. We blame emotions or circumstances and act as though we are victims rather than victors. Okay, yeah … when I say “we,” what I really mean is “I.” I have been struggling lately. Discouragement, depression, aversion to change. Whatever you want to call it, I’ve been battling it. And every time someone has mentioned that we have the ability to choose our responses to our circumstances, I have thought, “Sure! How can I help how I feel?” Every time, that is, until I finally decided to give it a try. It being faith, of course. You know, putting what I say I believe into action. And although this experiment is still young, I have to tell you that I am amazed at what I am learning.

First, choosing to believe God’s truth is a decision to surrender every day to Him. “This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118:24). He made today. This very day is His, and no matter what struggles it holds, I can rejoice in the fact that He is Lord of all of it. Knowing that He is in control and that I don’t have to be is reason enough to be glad in it. No, I don’t have to paint on a fake “Happy Christian” face to obey this command. I just have to believe that He is Lord and that He is worthy of my praise. Second, my emotions reveal what I believe. “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things … and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:8-9). In other words, what I spend my time dwelling on will impact my emotions. Did you catch this? “If there is any praise?” A good friend recently remarked that from now on we should counter any negative statement we make with a word of praise. Wow! What a change that decision has made in our conversations and in our encouragement of one another.

Finally, when I choose to live by faith, to believe God’s truth, and to surrender my day to Him, I take a step closer to His power to overcome the emotional battles I face. “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness’” (2 Cor. 12:9). He is there to meet me in my weakness and strengthen the faith that keeps me returning to Him. “So because of Christ, I am pleased in weaknesses … For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). I will still face struggles, but when I turn to God, my battles can bring Him glory.

So … it’s all about choices. Choose for yourself this day who you will worship. This is the day the Lord has made. Will you rejoice and be glad in it?

Thank you, Father, for reaching out to me in my weakness. You have shown me the Way, and You have the power to help me walk in it. Strengthen me to rejoice and be glad in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed in: Choices