“Little Choices”
October 18, 2017
Deuteronomy 30:15; 19
“See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.”
“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live”
Jeremiah 21:8
“Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.”
Genesis 1:26-27
“Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
This last week we have been devastated by the results of choices some people have made. What would influence a Christian man to take, not only his own life, but the life of the one he loved most in life? What would influence a man to diabolically plan and methodically carry out that plan to kill dozens of innocent people he didn’t even know? We don’t know and probably will never know this side of Glory. But there are a few things we do know; a few things we do understand; a few things that have been revealed to us.
First, we know we have been given the gift of choice. Another way of saying it is that we have free will. Unlike the rest of Creation we have been created in God’s image and included in that is the ability and responsibility to choose life or death. What a wonderful thing to have the power to make a life. We don’t create life – only God can do that – but He has given us this ability to make life. Virtually all of mankind has this ability and can make a life just about any time they want and often even when they don’t want to. Unfortunately we still live in a fallen world with a fallen nature and many people create a life irresponsibly and choose to abort that life or choose for someone else to take over the responsibility of raising the life they have created. Or they may choose to raise the child they made and not do a good of nurturing that gift of life like they should. We will talk more about that in a few minutes. Right now I want us to understand this wonderful ability God has given us. We have the power of choice. We have the power to choose life or death. Any of us have the power and ability to take life – and we do. We kill millions of innocent lives every year through abortion. Thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of lives are taken each year through murder and war and euthanasia and suicide.
One of the awesome abilities we have is, not only the ability to take our own lives if we wish, but we have the power to choose our own eternal destiny. Our Nazarene Manual says,
“We believe that glorious and everlasting life is assured to all who savingly believe in, and (choose to) obediently follow, Jesus Christ our Lord; and that the finally impenitent shall suffer eternally in hell.”
We have the power to choose heaven or hell as our finial destiny. It doesn’t matter how smart you are or how dumb; it doesn’t matter how gifted you are or not gifted; it doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor – you have the power or ability – call it a RESPONSibility – to choose heaven or hell. And NOT to choose Heaven is to choose hell. How do we do that? The Bible says,
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:11-13
What an awesome ability we have! What power has been given to us! We choose our destiny and we choose the kind of life we live.
I think it is important to understand 2) the process of our choices. We are influenced in making choices, aren’t we? Parents influence kids; bosses influence everything from when we get up to how long we work. Our needs often influence our choices.
I have found that there are four main things that influences our choices. Of course, there are people who influence us. We call that peer pressure sometime. We go along with the crowd. We dress alike; talk alike; act alike and even look alike. We don’t like to be alone or outcast or the oddball – so there is a lot of pressure to get us to conform. And sometimes that’s good. Often it is bad. Eve was influenced by Satan; Adam was influenced by Eve. Peter was influenced by soldiers and a little servant girl to deny he even KNEW Jesus. A lot of choices we make are influenced by others, from the food we eat, to the cars we drive, to the kind of homes we live it. Generally it doesn’t make much difference. Sometimes it does. When you give too much value to what others think about you and you make bad choices – it can be very bad. It can lower self-esteem and give you an inferiority complex and suck the joy out of life. Peers are the least reliable way to make good choices.
A second way we make choices and often the one we use most is emotion. What we FEEL like doing we do. If we feel like buying something we do. If we feel like going to church we go. If we feel like getting up and spending time in prayer – we do. But often we don’t feel like it so we don’t. Paul said,
“Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize. Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever. That is why I run straight for the finish line; that is why I am like a boxer who does not waste his punches. I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete control, to keep myself from being disqualified after having called others to the contest.”
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (GNT)
Do you understand that doing like you feel like - results in more bad choices than anything else? Someone makes you mad so you hurt them or kill them. You want something someone else has (Like David wanted Bathsheba) and you plot and scheme and kill to get it. James said,
“But we are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires. Then our evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14-15
There are so many people who live their lives controlled by their feelings or desires. They think if they do anything they want to do – if they can do whatever they FEEL like doing it will lead to happiness. But it doesn’t. It leads to death. Death to joy and love and peace and a host of other things. Always evaluate your feelings. It is okay to feel any way you feel. But it is NOT okay to give in to those feelings. THINK before you act.
The third thing that influences our actions or choices is 3) Intellect. Or thinking. God created us with a brain. We need to use it more often in making choices. When we are being influenced by peers or people – THINK about it. “If I do this - what will happen? Where will this choice take me? What will the results be?” Is it a good choice or a poor choice?
When you feel like doing something THINK about it. Buying things, saying things, doing things – run it through your intellect. The problem is we don’t think about the consequences of what we are choosing to do. Thoughtless words; thoughtless actions; thoughtless choices – we need to stop it. The Psalmist said,
“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
Sometimes we need to be still; get quiet – shut out the voices in our heads and listen to God. Maybe if we would be still we would hear God speaking. Jesus said, “Whoever has ears should listen.” Matthew 13:9
Again and again in the Book of Revelations Jesus says, “‘Whoever has ears should listen to what the Holy Spirit says to the churches.”
(Revelations 2:7;11;17;29)
Listening is a choice. It is an intellectual choice. We need to choose to listen. We need to be still and listen for God’s voice. The most reliable way to make choices is based on God’s will. We are blessed to have the Word of God at our disposal. Christians throughout history would envy our ability to have access to God’s Word and God’s will. Do you want to know God’s will? There are many places in the Bible it says, “This is God’s will.” Or “Hear the word of the Lord!” We can know His will in much of life. But for other things we need to get still and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Some people say, “The time of revelation is over. We can’t hear God speaking today!” I would say to them, “Just because you don’t hear His voice doesn’t mean I can’t.” The Holy Spirit still leads; still speaks; still comforts today. Train yourself to hear His voice. To do that you need times when you get quiet. And if you think you hear God’s voice speaking to you – double check it against the Scripture. God doesn’t contradict Himself.
There are many, many times I have heard God’s voice. Sometimes it’s been crystal clear and plain. Other times it has been that still small voice Elijah talked about.
“Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave.” 1 Kings 19:11-13
Listen for the still small voice of God. He will lead you and empower you and give you wisdom to make the right choices.
Here is another thing we know. 3. Choices have consequences. Every day is filled with choices. “Do I get up early and have devotions or sleep in? Do I wear this or that? Do I eat a breakfast of sugar or something healthy?” Life is made up of choices. Some of them are choosing to listen to the condemning voices of the enemy. I suffered from low self-esteem and an inferiority complex when I was young. I expressed it by bragging and building myself up with my exploits. I thought subconsciously that people would value me if they knew how tough I was or if I impressed them with my courage. But it didn’t.
When I came to Christ, He built me up and I found worth in Him. I found value in Him. Don’t listen to the voices that would devalue you if you are a King’s kid. The enemy is out to kill, steal and destroy us – but Jesus comes to give life – ABUNDANT life. Don’t listen to the negative. Don’t let yourself dwell on those voices. If we choose to listen it will tear us down and could destroy us.
God says, “Whatever if true; whatever is noble; whatever right; whatever is pure; whatever is lovely; whatever is admirable – If anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think on THESE things.” Philippians 4:8
It’s a choice! Little choices have big consequences. So start with those little choices. Choose to start small. Think on the right things. Discipline yourself to do the right thing with the little things. Pretty soon those little things become big things. They become important things. Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying,
“For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For the want of a horse the rider was lost,
For the want of a rider the battle was lost,
For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.”
- Benjamin Franklin
This week, I want to challenge you to take control of your life. Make the right choices. Someone is thinking – “I don’t want to take control – I want Jesus to be in control!”
Sounds nice. Sounds spiritual. But God gave us free will; He gave us free choice to make the right choices. He will lead - but you have to choose to follow. There will be no one in heaven who doesn’t choose to be there; no one who doesn’t hear His voice and follow Him. Every day is an opportunity to make good choices. May you exercise the power God has entrusted to you.
