Choices  

When you have to make a choice and don't make it, that is in itself a choice.  ~William James

When I think about how and why I believe in God, I often think of how many choices there are in how we choose to worship Him.  I believe God allows us to choose.  He wants us to worship Him willingly not by being forced.  Because is it really loving God if you are forced to worship in a certain way? 

The Bible teaches that we will be persecuted when we follow Him.  It doesn’t say that we are to retaliate when we are persecuted.  It says we are to forgive.  The best way to show someone else who God really is would be to forgive that person when they persecute you.  It is difficult to understand that someone could forgive another individual for persecuting them.  The enormity in our minds of how that can happen makes us think about why the person forgiving would do that. 

Jesus is the best example God gave us to see who he really is and the unbelievable suffering he endured on our behalf shows us how he wants us to react to persecution. Jesus knew what his purpose was during his time on earth.  He also knew he would die a terrible death. The best example I know of is when he told the Father, “Forgive them for they know not what they do.”  There is a new song by Citizen Way that is titled “Should’ve Been Me” that I love.  When I listen to the words it makes me really think.  It should have been us on the cross instead of Christ who was blameless and perfect in every way.  That thought alone humbles me.

It takes strength and courage to step out in faith in that way.  It is much easier to retaliate because of our human instinct for fight or flight.  The problem is it takes conscious thought to make the decision to forgive and often the fight or flight reflex happens so fast that it is done before your mind has time to catch up and think about what you are doing. 

God also wants us to spend time studying His Word.  How will we ever know what He wants us to do if we don’t ever look inside His instruction manual.  My pastor often tells us to not take his word for whatever he is teaching.  He tells us to dig into God’s Word ourselves.   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, Your instructions are clear but I don’t always follow them.  I am guilty of the fight or flight reflex of human nature.  When I hurt it is my instinct to defend my position or run the other way to avoid it.  Help me to learn to stand my ground and react with forgiveness so that others might see You in me.  I praise Your Holy Name.

Scripture:    But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-11