The Power Of Choice
My late Father-in-law, Harry, used to say, “People do what they really want to do.” He firmly believed that people do what truly matters most to them and will not say no to what is most important to them.
There’s truth in that statement. If we are not renewing our minds and gaining wisdom on what should carry the most value to us, we will choose poorly.
Have you ever wondered why it seems so easy to reject an excuse to never go to work, eat out at a restaurant, enjoy a movie, have fun on the weekend, or attend a special sport or entertainment event someone you deeply love and care about is involved in?
These are things that most people place a high value on. Have you ever asked how or who set that value in place for you? How do you determine which choices will be given the highest priority in your life?
Choices can be useful tools for discernment if we take time to consider them. Not many show up for something they do not value when it is inconvenient or difficult to do so, and very few sacrifice their time, resources, and emotions for someone or something they do not value. To truly know what you value most, ask yourself, "What am I willing to be inconvenienced for?" What am I most consistent with saying yes to? What can get me to sacrifice my time, resources, talents, skills, and emotions for?
Think about this: the fall of man happened due to a choice temptation. The enemy was at work doing everything in his power to make sure that a wrong choice was made. He makes the wrong thing look appealing in the moment in order to get someone to make a poor choice that will cost them either immediately or later on. Once the enemy of your soul gets you to settle the first time for anything less than God's best, he doesn't stop. He increases his effort to lead you into a practice of settling as much and as often as he can. He will make finding excuses not to do what God says will benefit you the easiest thing there is. Have you ever noticed that once you begin to say no and skip choosing something beneficial to you, it gets easier to say no to it? The enemy uses his power and resources to make it easier for the flesh to say no to things that are spiritually beneficial to a believer.
The enemy wants to steal your wisdom to make a right choice. He wants to steal your desire to relate with God and allow God to help you establish the proper values that lead to quality choices. The enemy of your soul desires to disconnect you from the things that are good for your soul and life spiritually. He wants to isolate you in order to do as much damage in your life and your relationship with the Father as he possibly can.
The enemy has become very successful in diminishing, for some, the importance of the assembly of the saints. Meanwhile, it is still true that in the assembly, Jesus declares God's name to His brethren and sings praises to Him. It is in that context that a believer can know with certainty they are in step with Jesus in a given moment. Jesus inconvenienced Himself, and He was even willing to suffer to make it possible to call believers brothers and declare God’s name to them in the midst of the assembly.
Hebrews 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly, I will sing praise to You.” 13 And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And again: “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”
Because of Jesus, I have fellowship with God continually. But I also get to choose to join Jesus in the assembly of the saints and partner with Him in what He's doing at that moment! I’m sad to say that in these modern times, the enemy has been quite effective at diminishing the value of this very significant opportunity each week. Some even make it their aim to contend against it. Settling for less than the perfect will of God for you allows the enemy to steal the power of choice in your life.
