I came across this verse today: "This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live" Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV). It reminded me of how many choices I really do have. Of course, there are circumstances in my life that are beyond my control - many of them! But, at the same time, I really do make thousands and thousands of decisions each day. And each decision is a choice. And each choice has potential outcomes and consequences - some positive, some negative. Some of the consequences are foreseeable, and some are not. There are positive outcomes and some that are less than desirable.
And, beyond that, although many of my decisions may turn out to seem inconsequential to me, when I stop and think about it, I know that most (if not all) of my seemingly inconsequential decisions have the potential to create waves in my life and the lives of others. Thankfully, numerous movie and TV plots have demonstrated this principle ad infinitum, so I will forgo that piece. This verse just reminded me of how important my choices are; and, I admit, I make many of them in an utterly cavalier way. I'm going to resist the temptation to give examples; the specific examples aren't really relevant and one decision may be big for me and small for you, or vice versa. The point, however, remains unchanged.
Life, as it was created, was born out of specific intention. The intentional will of God brought us - each and every one of us - into existence. And it's because of the intentional sacrifice of His Son that you & I have the chance for life. And, as I think of it, I suspect it's probably no accident that our relationship with Him is brought to fruition through our own intentional acceptance of this purposeful gift. God is not a God of happenstance. My life, my day, my breath... none of them are accidents. Yes, there are elements and aspects to life that are the result of sin - not necessarily a part of God's willful plan, but let us not forget that there is always a solution for sin: and that solution is Jesus.
I get to choose. Again and again each day, I get to choose. And, friends, again and again today you & I get to choose. To walk in the way of life, of the Life-giver, and not only in the big ways. Major decisions, the ones that are obviously life-altering are sometimes easier to give to Him, I think. Should I take this job? Should I marry this person? Am I meant to take this leap or walk that road? I don't know about anyone else, but it's the big stuff that makes turning to Him for counsel on my choices more intuitive: I don't feel like I know what to do without Him!
But what about those other choices - the daily thousands? How to respond to a frustrating email? Whether or not to smile warmly at a stranger at the market? Should I call that friend or give myself some time alone? Is it better for me to work late tonight or tomorrow? Friends, it is my experience that these smaller, more commonplace decisions sometimes fly below my "Give it to God" radar. It is also my belief that giving these decisions to the Lord with intention is where the purest of freedom is found. And, truly friends, that's not just my ideological belief; that's certainly been my experience.
I heard a friend once say, "Life is just so daily!" with exasperation. And it is. Sometimes being a adult (or a student or a teen or a child) is a full-time job in and of itself! We all know, life can take it out of you! But that, I suppose, is my point: if we are intentional about living in a way that gives all of our lives to Him, we can develop a habit of including in our surrender the little stuff we sometimes think we can handle on our own. And, in doing that, we are freed up to live beyond ourselves. As I grow in my own personal spiritual walk, I'm learning this more and more: just because I can doesn't mean I have to, and the more I rely on Him for my strength and direction - no matter how trivial the matter - the freer I am, and the more capacity I have to live into His Spirit. He is ready to wear our yokes - and not just the heavy ones. For myself, I will be trying to remember that as I walk into the world today!
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