Choices - the Good, the Bad, & the Deadly
Choices. It seems that the world demands for us to make more choices every day. When you drive up to a fast-food restaurant, you are swamped with choices. What is your fancy? Dollar menu? (oops — now that is the $2-$3 menu) Salad? Low fat? Low carb? The options are endless. The issue of choices not only applies to what you should buy but also to how you spend your time. Do you want to read a book? There are bookstores within easy reach and even digital copies available with the push of a button. Brave enough to watch TV? The journals listing what channel has what show are now almost as thick as a dictionary. Maybe you are the handy type and are ready to tackle a new project. You need a tour guide to make it through all that Lowes, Home Depot, and other home supply places have to offer.
Most people would agree that choices have future consequences. If you are one of the millions who order those $5 "heart attack meals” from the fast-food place, there probably will be consequences to your health - at least down the road. Perhaps you are a “sofa-jockey,” and your exercise consists of rooting for the home team when they play on TV? That too will catch up with you one day. Most of us are aware of the future consequences of our choices even if we currently ignore them. There is a choice that people make that often goes unnoticed, however. It is their choice regarding Heaven and Hell.
While most folks make “important” choices almost daily, their most important choice is made absent-mindedly. Very few people would consciously choose to go to Hell, but that is the result of their short-sighted choices. We all would agree that “preventative maintenance” is extremely important in numerous areas of our lives. We go to the dentist and have our teeth checked (if we want to keep them). We take our cars in for oil changes and service — after all who wants to break down?! The same should be true with regard to our souls. Neglecting our relationship with God will lead to corrosion and cancer in the soul. This cancer of the soul, called sin, is real. Whether people know it’s there makes no difference. Sin is truly the ultimate silent killer.
You have choices to make. These choices affect you and God. They can also affect others and their relationship with God. Your life has a ripple effect. Your ripples can cause waves of change in the lives of your neighbors, friends, and family. Yes, it does seem that there are more demands made on us every day. Make sure you choose wisely. Keep looking up!