Choice

     Choice.  There is so much complexity and potential in that single word.  It is related to the awesome power of the word “hope”.  Choice however, in its own way, has more power even than hope.  One cannot predictably control the outcome of hope, as opposed to choice.  Hope may be fulfilled by someone else.  Hope may be held indefinitely, waited upon and cherished.  Choice is utterly different.

     Choice can be fleeting, purely in the moment.  Choice can be long anticipated and planned for.  Ultimately, choice is solely determined by the one making it.  It is defined and affected by beliefs, feelings, and priorities.  There are large and small choices, even choices that are easy to relegate as being inconsequential.  However, every single one of them has an astonishing amount of influence on the outcome in our lives.  The choice to buy cheaper bread may save some money, but it may go stale faster.  Choosing to smile at a stranger may result in unexpected blessings, or may encourage inappropriate behavior.  Putting off the choice about whether to serve God or not might end with our soul being lost, or we might be given another chance to choose wisely.

     When one makes the choice to obey God, the attitude with which we make it, the motivations, and the convictions (or lack thereof) will undeniably affect how our Christianity continues after baptism.  If such a choice is made lightly, or done to placate someone else, or even because it an assumed choice, what remains to ensure that obedient choices are made thereafter?  To be a Christian is not a single choice, but a lifetime commitment that applies to every choice made after baptism, right up to death.  These are the choices we must make in order to obtain our heavenly reward.

     Thus we come back to the intertwining of choice and hope.  Our hope for our spiritual lives should be the driving force behind all our choices.  A desire to obey God, to please Him both for His sake as well as our own, should determine the kind of choices we make in this life.

     Are you aware of what your choices say about your motivations?  Can you be certain that what you choose shows your dedication to Christ, to our Father’s ways, to the examples and commands we have been given?  Even a choice we may consider inconsequential may be one that influences another and affects their relationship with God, for good or ill.  Therefore choose wisely, as it is not merely your own eternal life that you influence with your everyday choices, but possibly the spiritual life of another person.