Choose Life

"'Today I have given you the choice between life and death,

between blessings and curses.

Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the 

choice you make.

Oh, that you would choose life,

so that you and your descendants might live!

You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God,

obeying him,

and committing yourself firmly to him.

This is the key to your life.

And if you love and obey the LORD,

you will live long in the land the LORD swore

to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.'"

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NLT

Paper or plastic.

With or without nuts.

30- or 15-year fixed.

Sell or rent.

Caffeine or no caffeine.

Now or later.

Life is full of choices.  I make dozens each day, some without even thinking.  Others take much prayer and consideration.  

When God drew me to Jesus, enlightening me of my need for a Savior, I invited Him in as Lord of my life(John 6:44). As a result, I received the free gift of eternal life (John 3:16). Once I became a part of God's family through faith, I may have thought my choice had been made.  While my salvation is secure, I still have a decision to make that will result in blessing or trouble. Will I choose life or death?  

Words

I'll never be able to do that!

"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).

Why even try?  I'm a failure at everything I do.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).

I can't touch them or see them but they have the power to bring life or death into a situation.  As a follower of Christ, I have the option of either using my words to tear myself and others down, or I can apply them to edify, encourage and inspire greatness.  

Before I prefer life through my speech, however, I will need to get control of my thought life.  I find it easy to think negative thoughts, worry about what may or may not happen, and analyze my circumstances in an effort to find a suitable solution.  

Instead, to begin choosing life, I must strain my thought life through the filter of Christ.  If a thought doesn't honor Him and line up with His principles, it doesn't belong in my mind (2 Corinthians 10:5).  If my way of thinking is negative and self-defeating, it must be replaced with lovely, pure and praise-worthy ideas (Philippians 4:8). If I tend to think more like the world than like God, then I must intentionally cooperate with the Lord as He transforms my mind (Romans 12:2).

Once I'm on the path to pure thinking, my words will tend to take more of a godly slant.  Soon, I will find myself pointing others to the life-giving words of Christ, encouraging them to carry on despite the difficulties of their circumstances.  I may even notice a change in the way I speak to myself, choosing to preach the truth of the Gospel to myself in an effort to spur on my faith.

I have the power to choose either life or death in the way I speak to myself and others.

Actions

"Actions speak louder than words."

"Talk doesn't cook rice."  Chinese proverb

"Talk is cheap."

"A barking dog is often more useful than a sleeping lion." Washington Irving

"Don't just talk the talk but walk the walk."

"Well done is better than well said." Benjamin Franklin

The world is filled with wisdom regarding the power of action.  God also has much to say about the influence of my actions on the world around me.  He says mere knowledge of Him and His ways is not enough.  When it comes to His Word, He wants me to be more of a doer than just a listener (James 1:22).

Therefore, when He says that love is of the utmost importance, I better pay attention to not just doing what God calls me to do, but to saturate my obedience with love (1 Corinthians 13).  It also means I must do more than just memorize the scripture that teaches me to value others above myself, but to show Him that I believe what He said by respecting all humans as His image bearers (Philippians 2:3).  In addition, I can't just study about forgiveness and letting go of hurt, but I am called to make it a practice to extend the mercy and grace I am so freely given (Matthew 6:14-15).

When I take the option to do as God says, He will use me to bind wounds, soften hearts and promote healing.  In these ways my actions have resulted in life, with God getting all the glory for the great things He has done. 

   

I have the power to choose either life or death through my actions.

Heart

"I left my heart in San Francisco." Douglass Cross/Tony Bennett

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched--they must be felt with the heart."  Helen Keller

"Keep love in your heart.  A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead." Oscar Wilde

"Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye." H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Everyone knows the heart is important; it determines my actions and sets the path for my feet.  If my heart is not in it, the work I do will not be my best.  

Samuel, the prophet and judge, learned how important the heart is to God when he was searching for the king who would replace the defiant Saul as the leader of Israel.  As he followed God's lead, travelling to Bethlehem in order to meet Jesse, he examined all of this man's fine-looking sons.  Judging by appearances, he determined the oldest as the one who must be God's chosen king.  Much to his dismay, however, God rejected each of the men until he got to the youngest, a lad named David who God saw as a man after His own heart  (Acts 13:22).

It is the heart that is important to God.  While I tend to size someone up based on their skills, abilities and stature, God pays attention to something of more value(1 Samuel 16:7).  Therefore, if I am to choose the way of life, I must also take note of the condition of my heart.  What do I treasure?  Who do I value?  How do I spend my time?  In what do I invest my money?  These are all questions that can help me determine where my heart is located (Matthew 6:19-21).  

If I'm more concerned with my bank account, making my own retirement of utmost importance, then my heart is rooted in the temporal.  If, however, I'm intent on using my financial resources to build God's kingdom, I'm treasuring the eternal.

If I hold my own rights as vital, then I'll jeopardize relationships and opportunities to give a testimony in order to defend my selfish interests.  If I replace that desire to uphold my own liberties with a regard for furthering the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I'll unveil my heavenly value system. 

If my focus is on pleasing myself and indulging in my own sensual desires, then I'll live a shallow life.  If, instead, I am centered on pleasing God and following His lead, my life will be rich and full.

I have the power to choose either life or death in the attitude of my heart.

God created His masterpieces with the ability to choose.  As a result, I must decide whether I'll pick life or death in the words I speak, the actions I take and the incline of my heart.  In these areas, it is my desire that I make the effort to choose life.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can remember the power of my words.

When do I speak carelessly, tearing myself or others down without a second thought?

How can I better honor God in the direction of my focus?

Originally posted on February 13, 2014