Decisions

You and I are in the business of making decisions that we don’t have the power to keep. I mean think about it. Have you ever tried to break a habit such as gossiping, obsessive comparison of yourself with others, small-white lies, fits of internal anger and resentment, a lustful look at another person, obsessive daydreaming, or isolation from others? Even more difficult, have you ever tried to love and forgive others, put time and energy into things that aren’t important to you but are important to others, or spent time with others without having some sort of your own agenda?

The Kingdom of God is backwards because in this kingdom, we make decisions we don’t have the power to keep. God longs for us to let go of things that hurt us and others, while we move towards the things that bring peace and a sense of life. But, think about this, Jesus died on the cross to rescue us. We were unable to rescue ourselves from our own sinfulness in the first place. What makes me think that I now have the power to fight temptation or now have the power to become a better person?

The reality is that God wants us to make decisions to improve our lives and the lives of others, but just like his atonement through the cross, He is the only one who has the power to carry out what we are unable to do for ourselves. I simply make the decision, invite Him to carry it out, and move on to what’s next. “Come to Me, all of you who are weary, and I will give you rest.” He says. This is what He longs to do with you and I, but it means we have to make decisions without the power to carry them out. This goes against all self-centeredness.

In the end, allowing God to work through us is what brings the most joy, peace, and glory. Be careful though, and always remember He loves you before you make the decision. This isn't a performance based salvation. You can make mistakes. But, if you don't make real decisions, then there is no opportunity to make a mistake in the first place.