CHOICES

By: Rick Psinakis

Chosen....Choices
 

I've heard those words a lot recently, and have been taught a lot about the meaning of them as well. Did you know that the average person makes more then 2500 decisions a day? Most of those of course are relatively simple and with little consequence. Which color to wear today, cereal or toast for breakfast, or in my case which donut? Easy right? Blue, cereal and one of each please.  Other decisions we make will be of a bit more importance and could change lives, ours and those of others today and perhaps for years to come. In fact, beyond just years, the choices we make could effect eternity itself and how, and where it is spent.

 

So, after getting dressed and having breakfast things are going to get a tad heavier around

here....maybe we should chose to stay in bed! Or, we could learn, believe and never forget that the most important choice has already been made.

 

God chose you!

 

You have been chosen by the Creator of the universe. He knew you before time itself (Ephesians 1:4-6), knit you together in your mothers womb (Psalms 139:13)and He has a plan for your life to prosper you, not to harm you and give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). You are His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10) and the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8).

 

 Yes, you are chosen!

You were created on purpose with a purpose. All that, and yet God still allows a free will in us, because choosing to love Him means so much more then being made to. Scripture says that we have a choice, between life and death. Seems simple enough right? So why do so many put it off, leaving it for what may very well be too late?

Chose life. Chose life now. Chose life forever.

 

The Bible says that if you confess your sins, ask for forgiveness and repent from those sins that you will have life and life eternal (1John 1:9)  Believe that God sent his only son, Jesus, to die for your sins, and that by the power of The Holy Spirit He rose from the grave that you might also live (John 3:16). When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, God will send the same power that defeated the grave, the power of The Holy Spirit to live within you. You will start a journey that will take you places beyond your wildest dreams and imagination.

Ok, so now that that is taken of, it is time to get down to the business of allowing that power within you to start shaping your choices!

The Spirit will begin to nudge your mind and heart to do things that before you were born again you may not have even considered long enough to bother to make an excuse to get out of. But know this, the Holy Spirit will always lead you to what is good. You may not know right away who, what or how your choice to be obedient will affect you or others or even the final outcome, but prayerfully considered decisions will always be blessed.

 

As I said earlier, I have heard a lot about being chosen and choices recently. I also had mentioned that I learned about them as well. Part of what I learned was to get out of my comfort zone, remain obedient and share this experience, with no one in particular but to the very ones, who through absolutely no coincidence, happen to be reading it now.

 

I made my decision for life many years ago, and most certainly in the time since, God has blessed me with the most wonderful people in my life. Through their many choices for good that they made, I am now at a point where God has used me in a way that I never thought He would. Even a simple choice to introduce people, making that connection that God will use later can be life changing as it was for the One God used to get this whole party started!

 

To fast forward now through a few blessed years...Choices were made by someone to contact me, to call, visit and even drive a sick friend, Greg, to his doctor's appointments and chemo treatments. When she felt that nudge, she could have easily dismissed it, not wanting to bother me, or leave it for me to hear for myself. She didn't though. She took her chances and was obedient to the call on her heart. While at peace with her decision, she could not have realized what God was doing behind the scenes. I was glad to help, but neither did I realize what God was up to.

 

Choices were made by others to bring our mens group meeting to our friends hospital room one Tuesday night instead of the usual meeting place. Again, The Holy Spirit leading them to what is good, and again not aware of the greater good that was yet to come. More nudging and more good choices as a few from men from the church went to visit him. As the chit chat turned into prayer, one of the men asked Greg if he had accepted Jesus into his life. He replied that he wasn't really sure but wanted to do it privately, maybe after the church service on Sunday. And now on that Sunday, I was given a choice. At Greg's request, do I leave work early and pick him up to drive him to our church service?

 

While I can still remember a time when I would have made an excuse not to bother, I can now say that by the grace of God this was an easy decision. It was no big deal, right?, Not even imagining what would happen next, this was just going to be a simple ride to church, right? Not so much.

 

When I got Greg's, he was in no shape to get to church. The cancer that had been ravaging his body and brought him into the care of hospice was winning this battle. But Greg would not lose the war! Soon after I had arrived, Greg told me that he never formally accepted Jesus and wanted to be saved! He asked me to pray with him and for him.

 

God showed up and showed off that morning!

 

The Holy Spirit came and filled the room and Greg's heart with a peace that surpasses all understanding as well as my heart too. As much as God prepared me for this, being used in this way seems and is overwhelming, and even as it has yet to fully sink in, I know that I know that I know that this choice, that was years in the making was every bit for His glory. I am humbled and honored at the same time and I cant wait to see what He has for me next !

 

Make that first choice, accept Jesus in your life, then live that life for Him and Him alone. Then take the next step and show the world that you are a chosen one through baptism. Open your mind and hearts to The Holy Spirit as He lives in you and guides you to good and godly choices. Choices just like the ones that lead to heaven celebrating and opening its gates for Greg.

 

Greg lived just one more week here in His peace, but is now be with his Savior and God in paradise forever.

 

What will you chose to do today?