Choices, Choices

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. — 2 Timothy 2:22


From the moment you get up in the morning to the moment you lay your head down on your pillow at night, you will have made hundreds, maybe even thousands, of choices.

That is why ordering at some restaurants is no easy task. The menu resembles a small telephone book. There are too many options. One of the reasons I like little hamburger joints is that your options are simple: a hamburger, french fries, a drink, or maybe a shake. Of course, there are some variations to that, like adding cheese or certain condiments, but that is pretty much it.

Life is filled with choices. There are some choices that don't mean a lot, while other choices mean a whole lot. And it comes down to this: we make our choices, and our choices make us. So if you want to grow spiritually, you will. And if you don't want to grow spiritually, you won't. Either you will go forward as a Christian, or you will go backward. Either you will progress, or you will regress. Either you will gain ground, or you will lose ground. And if you stand still, then you will lose ground and you may not even clue into it. I think that many Christians think that staying still is okay, but it's really not. Just as the gospel is to be progressive, so our lives and discipleship as Christians should be progressive.

The reason some Christians succeed while others who make a profession of faith fail miserably comes down to choices. It is not the luck of the draw or something that happens randomly. It is because people make the right choice to do the right thing. There are choices that will impair our spiritual growth, and there are choices that will enhance it.

That is why we need to make a commitment to seek to grow spiritually on a daily basis—not to just hold our ground, but to gain ground in our relationship with Christ. Let's commit ourselves to spiritual growth. It starts by making that choice.