Difficult Choices

It is easy for us to look at scripture and wonder how in the world the Israelites kept making such poor choices. Their journey started immediately after miraculous displays of God's power and protection, yet as soon as they came upon a watery obstacle they started to whine and complain. Then they all witnesses the power of God to dry up the water before them so that they could cross out of harms way, yet shortly after they started making idols to gods who had shown no such power, no such protection for them.

For forty years they traveled with visible representations of God leading them, with God providing for their meals miraculously every day, and still they complained and wanted to go back into slavery. They continually made bad decisions even though they were in the very presence of God Almighty. They made very bad choices.

But we continue to do the same things even though we have the historical documents of the failures of others to remind us. The Israelites were in new territory, literally and figuratively. They may have heard some stories about God's greatness, but they did not have the complete story showing that God also will have the ultimate victory. We have no excuse.

Christians should have no difficulty in making good choices or decisions. When faced with an opportunity to play in a sports tournament or attend a concert or go fishing/hunting or watch a professional football game or have a little weekend getaway, we would have no difficulty in saying yes. But what if those opportunities happened to be at the same time as another commitment we had made. Then the choice becomes a little more difficult.

Most people start to weigh the "importance" of their previous commitment. Is it something that I can reschedule? Is it something that really requires me to be there? Before long, most people will have convinced themselves that their previous commitment is not as important as this wonderful opportunity. In effect, we have justified why this opportunity is more important than our commitment. But if we are truthful with ourselves we would know that our commitments are more important than new opportunities, no matter how great they may be.

Back in the 90s there was a movement started by evangelist Dan Seaborn in Holland, Michigan, that quickly spread to youth groups around the country. This movement known nationally as WWJD, or What Would Jesus Do, helped focus our attention on the importance of determining what God would want us do when making decisions.

So when faced with a wonderful opportunity that becomes a difficult decision because of previous commitments, consider God's word in Matthew, "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." (Matthew 5:37 NIV)

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