Choices
When I was twelve years old, I remember the excitement when I finally graduated from the children’s ministry at church to the youth group. Finally, I would get to be around the older kids and see what it was like to be a teenager! I remember practically worshiping the older teens because I was so enthralled with them—what they wore, how they spoke, the cars they drove, and the habits they had. I was in for a rude awakening as I realized that they were merely human, just like me. I had spent so much time being fascinated by them that I didn’t really understand we weren’t all that different—they just had a few years of life experience I didn’t yet have. What a joy it was to be surrounded by people who needed Jesus to help them in their everyday lives, just like I did. What a privilege to learn from them about how to make choices that honor Him.
This year, I am reading through the Bible chronologically. When you read through the Bible in this way, you are reading through the historical events of the Bible in the order they happened. As I spent most of January in Genesis, I was struck by the patterns of generational sin that plagued the families we get to know in this first book of the Bible. Think about it with me. When Abraham went to Egypt on his journey to the land that God had promised him, he told Pharaoh that his wife Sarah was his sister because he was afraid he would be killed. Then, decades later, his son Isaac did the exact same thing. He lied to King Abimelech and told him that his wife Rebekah was his sister because he too was afraid for his life. (See Genesis 12 and 26.)
Two core human emotions are love and fear. Fear can drive us to do things we thought we would never do. We can be so afraid of what other people think that we succumb to temptations that we thought would never be an issue for us. We can be so afraid of rejection that we do not share the truth of the gospel with an unbelieving friend. We can be so afraid of change that we do not step out of our comfort zone to obey what God is asking us to do. These fears never compel us to walk in obedience.
In school, you are faced with choices every day. Will you join in on the gossip and tear down the reputation of a girl you don’t like, or will you walk away and challenge others to be kind? Will you join the party scene so you can be a part of the popular crowd, or will you stand for what is right? Will you dress immodestly to gain boys’ attention, or will you honor the Lord with your body? Will you see the latest movie or listen to the newest song even though they contain images and words that do not glorify the Lord, or will you guard your heart?
Sometimes it can feel as though the choices you make are only serving to isolate you and make you feel different. But the truth is that every choice you make matters. It may seem like your choices only have consequences right now: your discomfort or frustration with being the odd girl out. But God is pleased when we honor Him in every area of our lives. He knows the isolation that comes with walking in obedience.
After Jesus had spent 40 days of prayer and fasting in the desert, the enemy came to Him with temptation to deny it all for what seemed like a pretty good offer: fame and fortune. But Jesus rebuked every temptation with the truth of the Word. He knew that what the enemy could offer Him paled in comparison to the riches of pleasing His Heavenly Father (Luke 4:1–13).
The same is true for you. Many things will try to steal your attention and your devotion to Christ. But the best choice you can make is to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Only He can fill the holes in your heart you are tempted to fill. He pours His love into them, which is the sweetest gift there is.
When you root yourself in the love of Christ, fear no longer has a place in the choices you make. You are not bound to how other people might react, but rather motivated by the love of your Savior and Creator. Let’s choose His love and keep choosing it so that obedience is a delight and not an obligation.
Questions
When have you been in a situation in which it was hard to make the right choice?
What choices are you faced with right now that you need to pray about instead of walking in fear?
How have you seen God reward your obedience when it was hard to obey Him?
This article was originally published through Well Watered Women as part of the Dear Girl devotional.