Langata Rd, Opposite Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, Kenya.
There is a choice of one of TWO LEADERS. There are two great leaders and they stand before every young life, and they both bid for the loyalty and obedience of that life.
a) The ruler of the darkness of this world – the prince of the power of the air, the great deceiver.
b) Jesus is “THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.”
There is no neutral ground. I am either following Jesus, or I am following the prince of the power of the air, the ruler of this world’s darkness.
Matthew 12:30, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”
In Deuteronomy 30:19 (AMPC), God says, “…I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.”
Every choice is a seed you sow, and those seeds produce fruit in your life – either for life or for death.
When God tells us in Deuteronomy 30:19 to “choose life,” He’s actually showing us what wisdom looks like – it’s life-giving. And when we follow wisdom, we live deeper than “I want, I think, I feel…I want, I think, I feel…” Because wisdom always chooses to do now what will bring satisfaction later on, while foolishness means “without common sense.”
Now here’s some great news: If you have made foolish choices (and we’ve all done it at times in our lives) and you’re not happy with the way things are, you can change. But you have to be willing to take responsibility for your wrong choices and make a determined decision to change the way you behave.
I really want you to get this because my passion is to help you learn how to live the life Jesus wants you to have.
How to Truly Change for the Better
I was able to choose life and live the way God wants me to live. Whatever change you need to make, simply pray and ask God to change you and help you.
How can you change and what could your life be like if you made better choices right now? Don’t put it off any longer. There won’t be a more convenient time, and you don’t have to waste another day missing out on the good life God has for you.
Here’s a way to test how it is with you.
What is something in your life that you would consider refusing to give up if God asked you to?
What things cause you to put God in second place when there’s a conflict between the two?
If it’s a choice between God’s approval or your family or friend’s approval, which relationship comes first?
If it’s a choice between holding to God’s Word and potentially harming your job situation, or compromising God’s Word and getting ahead financially, what do you do?
If it’s a choice between divine service or some extracurricular event;
if it’s a choice between honoring God or honoring your own desires–where does He rank in the actual day to day practice of your choices?
When it comes right down to it, our hearts are often more strongly attached to people or politics or the praise of our peers or possessions than they are to the Lord.
Jesus revealed this one day to a rich young man, who wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life. He had done his best to keep the commandments. Scripture says,
Mark 10:21, “Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.’”
The idol of mammon had to be dethroned from the rich young man’s heart before he could serve the true God. And at least at first, he couldn’t do it. He went away sad.
That is where we find hope for ourselves, that even in spite of our idolatries, the Lord looks at us and loves us, and He says to us, “Get rid of your idols. Put your time and resources to their proper use, and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” The Lord doesn’t give up on us, in spite of our divided hearts. He loves us enough to call us to repentance and away from those idols that would destroy our souls.
He calls us back to who we truly are as His chosen, baptized people. He calls us to serve and follow Him so that we might have real and eternal life with Him. You know, you’re going to serve some god or idol no matter what; might as well be the only One whose benefits endure. Jesus is the only Master where, by serving Him, you are made truly free.
Freedom from Anxiety and Fear
In today’s Gospel we see that one of the things Jesus came to free you from is anxiety and fear. He calls you to stand where there is solid footing and certainty, trusting in Him and in His Father’s care.
With mammon there is no certainty; it is undependable, and so there is worry. There’s always the fear that bad weather or economic downturns or rust or mold or thieves or hackers or scammers will threaten our money and possessions. We know that mammon is only temporary, here today, gone tomorrow.
Our Lord Jesus seeks to free you from all that by saying, Matthew 6:25, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? . . . The [pagans] seek after all these things. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”
Take heart in those words, “Your heavenly Father knows. . .” He knows what you’re dealing with. He knows what you need. So don’t be afraid. And don’t think that the Lord has forgotten you. For if He is your Father, then you are His children. And He does not forsake His own family. He is working all things together for your eternal good. If He feeds the birds and clothes the flowers, will He not also take care of you who are of much greater value?
The Stakes Are High
And so, the question before us as believers is what will we choose, we, who have been given new hearts? Will we choose “loving the Lord [our] God, obeying His voice and holding fast to Him” (Deuteronomy 30:20), or the alternative, which ultimately leads to death.
It is not only in the big choices, but the seemingly small, inconsequential choices of everyday life that we are faced with this decision. Scripture tells us our choices have serious implications for those around us as well; “therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19, emphasis added). The stakes are high.
So, when it comes to how you spend your time and money, the thoughts you think, the words you say, and the attitudes you hold, consider whether it is an expression of loving the Lord, obeying His voice, and holding fast to Him. When it is, you have chosen life! When it is not, be weary, for the alternative is a grave matter.
What Are the Benefits of Serving God?
Our Health is Preserved (3 John 1:2, Exodus 23:25-26).
Divine Protection (Daniel 6:10-17; 6:18-23). When a decree was made, Daniel went into his room and started praying to God. This tells us that when we have a commitment with God, it is important to keep it.
God Honors everyone that serves Him (John 12:26). God honors everyone that serve Him consistently.
Divine Rewards (Revelation 22:12-13). There is a reward for everyone, therefore work to receive your own reward.
Divine Support (1 Kings 19:14-18; 19:4-8). God supported Elisha at the point of his weariness.
Choose Life. Choose Jesus.