Langata Rd, Opposite Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, Kenya.
We choose this day, to follow the one, holy, and infinite God, the one above all other gods, and above each of us. That God is Yahweh, the God whose name cannot be defined, but who represents justice and peace, mercy and love, in every generation. That God becomes flesh in Jesus Christ our Lord.
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.
When Jesus began His ministry, this leader actually met Him, and he said to Jesus:
“If you will bow down to me I will give you all the kingdoms of this world.”
That deceiver bids for your loyalty. That deceiver bids for your life, and unfortunately, he gets too many.
b) Jesus is “THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.”
“I am the Way; I am the Truth; I am the Life.”
“Follow Me and ye shall have treasure in Heaven.”
Do you see the force of it?
“Choose ye whom you will serve,” you must make your choice.
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.
People may resent that, but it is the teaching of the Bible. What did Jesus say?
Matthew 12:30: “He that is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”
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. And if we want to have the life Jesus died to give us – an abundant life full of real peace and joy – we need to make wise choices.
Consistently Good Choices to lead us to a Good Life but that does not take away your responsibility of making a choice.
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. When you do, you’ll find that every right choice you make helps reverse the wrong decisions you’ve made in the past.
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.
To begin this journey in Christ, we have to understand that nobody can change themselves. I know this because when I desperately wanted to change and be a better person who made right decisions, it was clear that I couldn’t do it on my own. I needed God to heal me of hurts from past abuse and make me secure and whole in Christ. Then 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. Study the Bible in the areas where you are struggling, like anger, selfishness or unforgiveness. And be serious about it – you have to really study the Word to get what you need from God and be changed.
It’s so good to know we can do something to choose life, not just have an existence full of misery and death. We can seek wisdom, pray every day and renew our commitment to do what He wants us to do. We can live with integrity and do what’s right – even when no one is watching us but God. That’s when we know we’re really living for Him and not for ourselves or to please other people.
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.
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?