The ability to choose it under attack. But this is not the first time nor will it be the last.
Starting from Adam and Eve God has given us choice. The choice to love Him, the choice to obey Him, the choice to walk with Him, the choice to worship Him. He's never tried to stifle it, He's never tried to force anything or take it back. He gives you the ability to freely choose how you want to live your life. God of course has a direction He wants you to go that will bring you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11) but you ultimately have the ability to make the choice you want to make.
So if no one has ever told you;
At every turn in this country people try to stifle choice in the name of God but that is not of God. I am a pro-choice person because I believe that you have the right to make decisions about your body, who you date/marry, etc and that having choices does bring life. Everyone is entitled to have the best information they can to make a well informed decision. Just because I don't like your decision doesn't mean you don't have the right to choose.
I hear many people say I was born this way. The truth is that we were born either male or female (Genesis 5:2), we were born into sin (Psalm 51:5), we were born fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), and we were born the nationality we are and with the genetic make-up our parents passed to us. After that, you learn from your parents and those around you and when you are old enough you start making your own choices.
When you are a baby it is things like touching the stove or listening when mom says no. When you are young its about what's you favorite color, who will be your friend, what outfit will you wear to school. As you get older its about what your job will be, who will you marry, will you have kids, where will you live. And we all struggle with will I do the right thing or the wrong thing. Everything we do is a series of choices that make up our lives. And we have the right to make those choices.
What we don't have the right to do is re-write the Word of God to fit our narrative. The Bible says what it says. Don't take from it or add to it. We often feel the need to do so because of the shame others put on us, not God himself. I was born this way or I was born into this comes out of that. You can't make a decision and then say it is of God because I was born this way when there is a direct contradiction to that logic in the Bible. For example, I can't be out here sleeping with everything that moves when the Bible says that fornication is wrong. Or I can't say that I stole for a noble cause and try to justify it by saying Jesus would want me to have it when the Bible says that stealing is wrong period.
We all say we want to choose life however that is not always reflected in our actions because we want to make choices that won't receive backlash or hardship. In this way, we often times choose bitterness over joy; Sorrow over happiness; Jail over freedom. We want to then blame others for why our life is so hard but in truth while yes others can make life difficult we still can chose how we move within that difficulty. If I am enslaved or imprisoned I can still rejoice (Acts 16:25-34). If I am poor I can still find the good and focus on those things. When others curse me I can make the choice to not respond because I know I am in good company with the likes of Jesus, John the Baptist, Peter and Paul.
In America's society today we want to be able to do what we want without consequence. We want all the good consequences and none of the bad. But, that is not how life works. Look, we all have the ability and the God given right to make choices in how we live our lives. But we then have to be ready for the result of those choices. For example, if you go to the petting zoo, you want to feed the animals and touch them but don't want to get licked or bit. However, those can be a consequence of feeding the animals at the petting zoo.
Even Jesus had a choice. When He was in the Garden and He spoke to God He asked if this burden of death could be taken from him. In that moment he had the choice to throw in the towel, pack it all up and go back home. Instead, he said Not my will but thy will be done (Matthew 26:36-46). When Satan came to him and tempted him after he hadn't eaten in days he made the choice to resist temptation (Matthew 4:1-11).
God in the Bible continually gives us choices (Deuteronomy 30:19-20, Joshua 24:15) and examples of choices (Jonah, Moses, David). He says you can do this or you can do that. And in each scenario we see the consequence- good or bad - of that choice; One choice brings blessing and one choice brings cursing.
The wonderful thing about God is that He loves us in spite of our choices. And each day we wake up we get another chance to get it right. Only one choice defines your eternity and it is the choice to accept the Gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ. The other choices I make determine how my life will shake out on this earth but the choice I made for Christ will live on forever.
Do you choose Christ today? You just have to confess with you mouth that you believe He died for your sins and accept Him into your heart. Moses, David, Abraham, Isaac all made terrible decisions in their lifetimes (many that would disqualify them in the eyes of the Church today) but they all sit in Heaven with the Lord. Why? Because they chose Him.
Choose Life. Choose Christ.
Starting from Adam and Eve God has given us choice. The choice to love Him, the choice to obey Him, the choice to walk with Him, the choice to worship Him. He's never tried to stifle it, He's never tried to force anything or take it back. He gives you the ability to freely choose how you want to live your life. God of course has a direction He wants you to go that will bring you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11) but you ultimately have the ability to make the choice you want to make.
So if no one has ever told you;
CHOICE IS OF GOD!
At every turn in this country people try to stifle choice in the name of God but that is not of God. I am a pro-choice person because I believe that you have the right to make decisions about your body, who you date/marry, etc and that having choices does bring life. Everyone is entitled to have the best information they can to make a well informed decision. Just because I don't like your decision doesn't mean you don't have the right to choose.
I hear many people say I was born this way. The truth is that we were born either male or female (Genesis 5:2), we were born into sin (Psalm 51:5), we were born fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), and we were born the nationality we are and with the genetic make-up our parents passed to us. After that, you learn from your parents and those around you and when you are old enough you start making your own choices.
When you are a baby it is things like touching the stove or listening when mom says no. When you are young its about what's you favorite color, who will be your friend, what outfit will you wear to school. As you get older its about what your job will be, who will you marry, will you have kids, where will you live. And we all struggle with will I do the right thing or the wrong thing. Everything we do is a series of choices that make up our lives. And we have the right to make those choices.
What we don't have the right to do is re-write the Word of God to fit our narrative. The Bible says what it says. Don't take from it or add to it. We often feel the need to do so because of the shame others put on us, not God himself. I was born this way or I was born into this comes out of that. You can't make a decision and then say it is of God because I was born this way when there is a direct contradiction to that logic in the Bible. For example, I can't be out here sleeping with everything that moves when the Bible says that fornication is wrong. Or I can't say that I stole for a noble cause and try to justify it by saying Jesus would want me to have it when the Bible says that stealing is wrong period.
We all say we want to choose life however that is not always reflected in our actions because we want to make choices that won't receive backlash or hardship. In this way, we often times choose bitterness over joy; Sorrow over happiness; Jail over freedom. We want to then blame others for why our life is so hard but in truth while yes others can make life difficult we still can chose how we move within that difficulty. If I am enslaved or imprisoned I can still rejoice (Acts 16:25-34). If I am poor I can still find the good and focus on those things. When others curse me I can make the choice to not respond because I know I am in good company with the likes of Jesus, John the Baptist, Peter and Paul.
In America's society today we want to be able to do what we want without consequence. We want all the good consequences and none of the bad. But, that is not how life works. Look, we all have the ability and the God given right to make choices in how we live our lives. But we then have to be ready for the result of those choices. For example, if you go to the petting zoo, you want to feed the animals and touch them but don't want to get licked or bit. However, those can be a consequence of feeding the animals at the petting zoo.
God in the Bible continually gives us choices (Deuteronomy 30:19-20, Joshua 24:15) and examples of choices (Jonah, Moses, David). He says you can do this or you can do that. And in each scenario we see the consequence- good or bad - of that choice; One choice brings blessing and one choice brings cursing.
The wonderful thing about God is that He loves us in spite of our choices. And each day we wake up we get another chance to get it right. Only one choice defines your eternity and it is the choice to accept the Gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ. The other choices I make determine how my life will shake out on this earth but the choice I made for Christ will live on forever.
Do you choose Christ today? You just have to confess with you mouth that you believe He died for your sins and accept Him into your heart. Moses, David, Abraham, Isaac all made terrible decisions in their lifetimes (many that would disqualify them in the eyes of the Church today) but they all sit in Heaven with the Lord. Why? Because they chose Him.
Choose Life. Choose Christ.
The Unlikely Missionary
DHW
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