Today, there was an assembly at the middle school where I teach.  The Strength Team presented a motivational program for students, encouraging them to hold on to their dreams and reach their goals.  The one thing that stood out to me is something they said about the choices we make in life.  One of them said that we are not born as winners or losers.  Instead, he explained to the student body that we are born as choosers.  In other words, we can choose what path in life we will take.  We can choose the easy path or the hard one.  We can choose to be happy or choose to be sad.  We can choose to be positive or choose to be negative.  We can choose to love or choose to hate.  Life truly is full of choices.  Yet, there is one choice that is the most important one of all.  The most important choice you will ever make is to choose Christ.

In John 15:16 (NIV), Jesus says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”  Jesus is telling us that He wants us to have a personal relationship with Him.  He wants us to be able to come boldly to the throne of grace and to present our requests to the Father.  God will give us the desires of our heart.  But, first we must choose to serve Him wholeheartedly, so we can receive the blessings He desires so greatly to bestow upon us.

Jesus has made His choice.  He has chosen you.  He wants you to experience the joy and peace that comes from knowing Him.  He wants you to enjoy the life that He has planned for you.  Even before you were born, He knew the choices you would make that would lead you to where you are right now.  All along the way, He has given you the freedom to choose the path you prefer.  Have you chosen correctly?  Or have you made a not-so-good choice along life’s journey?

Often times, people may make bad choices.  A child may choose to eat too much candy, causing them to become ill.  A teenager may choose to engage in underage drinking, which could put them in jail for the remainder of their life.  Someone may choose to drive just a few miles over the speed limit, resulting in a wreck that could cause an innocent person’s life to be taken away.  You may ask, why doesn’t God intervene to reverse our poor choices?  God has given us the freedom to choose.  In addition, He has given us the Bible, which serves as an instruction manual on how we should live our lives.  It is up to you and me to decide whether or not we will follow this guidebook, or precariously follow our own path in life.

You may think, how can I make the right choice?  Everything seems so complex and I simply don’t know which choice is God’s will for my life.  Maybe you want to take the wrong path because it seems like the easier way out.  Perhaps you want to choose that path because you feel it will be more enjoyable.  While there may be things in this world that seem enjoyable for a time, these things do not have eternal value.  I John 2:17 (NIV) states, “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”  If we do the will of our Heavenly Father, we will enjoy eternal life.  Think about it.  Would you rather have a very brief, perhaps painful or deadly existence here on this earth, or would you rather enjoy eternity where there is no pain and no death?
If you are at a place in your life where you are uncertain as to what path you should take, look to Jesus.  If you do not know which choice is the right choice, look to Jesus.  And of you feel you are at your rope’s end, look to Jesus.  And as you look to Him, seek His will for your life.  I Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV) says, “Pray continually.”  We should always look to Jesus before making a choice in life.  There is never a time when we should make a decision, whether big or small, without seeking God’s will in our life.  Read your Bible.  Speak to a Christian counselor, pastor, or Christian friend.  Most importantly, talk to the Lord.  He is the Friend who will stick with you closer than a brother.  He already knows what you’re going through.  Pray every day, and you will find that God hears every word you say.

When confronted with a difficult decision, ask God to help you make the best choice.  Do not treat the decision as if it doesn’t really matter.  Treat it as if it will have an impact on your life.  Why?  Because the wrong decision will likely have a negative impact on your life, and the right decision can have a delightfully positive impact on your life.  No matter what happens, trust God to help you make the right choices.  Jesus wants you to live a long, fulfilling, happy life.  He is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, waiting for you to seek His will for your life.  Don’t make a choice on your own.  Ask Jesus to help you decide.  You can be a chooser.  And you can choose to live a life of joy!

In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer