Genesis 2:15-17 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Made in the image of God, mankind has been given the gift of choice. Our lives, to a great extent, are shaped by the choices that we make. We can choose what to eat. We can choose what to listen to. We can choose what to read. Choices are important. We can choose to be lazy, or we can choose to be active. Even when we are dealt with unexpected blows of ill health or some tragic relationship occurrence, how we choose to respond can ease the pain, or deepen the rut of despair. God gave our first parents this gift of choice. We are all born with it, and exercise it every single day.
Not all choices that we make correspond to chapters and verses of Scripture, but all choices that we make will either enhance or hinder our walk with Jesus Christ. Listening to God’s still small voice is vital if we purpose to avoid making choices that cause us to partake of things that grieve God’s Spirit and end in death. “… choose this day whom you will serve,” said Joshua (Joshua 24:15, ESV). Here are your choices: yourself, the world, or The Lord Jesus Christ. Only one choice will bring you peace of mind and heart. Defy the voices from within or without that press you to do what is right in your own eyes. Choose to obey Jesus unreservedly today, and leave the consequences up to Him.
