Choosing the Right Things
In one of my recent messages at church, we covered my life verse, “But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). In that message I suggested eight aspects to “grow up” in our life and was challenged by a dear one to do a blog on each, so here is another one! Good, healthy choices and self-discipline.
All day long each day, we have choices to make. These are choices for which we are responsible, which will either bring us benefit and reward; or drag us down. The choices have a spiritual application for a follower of Jesus Christ, as someday we will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and give account of our faithfulness in serving Him.
It will be a wonderful event, an intense event, and knowing ourselves like we do, there will also be some tears. The apostle Paul described it this way. “According to the grace of God, which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). See what I mean, intense!
Notice the foundation is solid and sure, it is Jesus Christ, and He will not be moved. This judgment is not about our salvation, Jesus has accomplished that. We couldn’t have done that no matter how hard we tried. But having been accepted in the Beloved One, we respond to His love by serving Him, making choices, choices that honor Him. Beloved ones, He gives rewards and crowns at this event!
Notice on the sure, solid foundation, our life choices build on it. The materials describe good choices vs. negative ones. Am I building on the foundation with gold, silver, jewels? Fire makes those shine brighter. Am I building on the foundation with wood, hay, or straw? Those get burned up quickly. No doubt we have all built on our foundation with some of each sort of materials. So what makes a choice gold?
The easiest is following the commands of scripture. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). A commandment in the Bible that is there in print, obvious in black and white. If it says to do something, do it! Gold! If it says not to do something and we don’t do it! Gold! Rebellion, no one’s gonna tell me what to do, even God. Wood, hay, straw. Or do nothing at all. Wood, hay straw.
We want to get in the habit of doing the right thing. A habit is “a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up. And likewise to avoid doing the wrong things. This is where God has been clear in the Bible. Go with that! Good choice! Gold!
What about where it is not clear? Then to make a good choice we need to develop a conviction based on what we do know. Paul wrote about choices like this: “The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves” (Romans 14:22). A conviction is something that is settled and right in our mind, and we go with it. Note the warning that we will be happy with our own convictions if we have decided to approve of something that doesn’t wind up bringing us down. Choose carefully, be confident, if you have a doubt, just don’t. Choose gold!
A lot of our habits in our self-indulgent world go with how well we care for our body and what we put into it. For a follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives in our body, it is His temple. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19,20). How do we treat the Lord’s house? Are we caring for it? Do we get enough sleep? Do we eat right? Do we stay away from abusing substances that would harm us? Are we in at least a minimum cardio vascular fitness? Choose gold.
Some things are not bad in and of themselves, but they have a different sort of effect, and that is dependency. “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12). A frequent phrase, “there’s nothing wrong with it” may be a true statement. But has it taken hold of me? Have I gone beyond enjoying something to having to have it? Statistics show that one in eight Americans has a life pattern that fits the definition of an alcoholic according to the folks at Alcoholics Anonymous. Don’t let denial keep you from choosing gold.
Our goal at the end of this life is for the Lord Jesus to say “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’” (Matthew 25:23). Choose gold!
