Joshua 24: 15
The Word: Joshua 24: 15 (KJV)
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Dig Deeper:
Joshua 24: 16 (KJV)
16 And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods;
Think about it
GRACE AND CHOICE
It is said that the gates of history turns on small hinges. Those small hinges could refer to our day to day minute decisions. The choices we made yesterday determined our reality today and our reality today becomes our history tomorrow. No choice is insignificant. Every choice carries within it some consequences (both positive and negative). There can be no grace without choice or let’s rephrase: Grace cannot be accepted without choice.
What is grace?
It’s a gift, a favour, a blessing that you have not necessarily worked for. To accept grace, you must make a choice. Also to multiply or increase in grace, you must still continue making daily choices. You discovered a gift in you. It came to you naturally. It was inherent by God. To develop it and take it to another level, you will need to make a conscious choice to do the things that will help that talent or opportunity grow..
What is choice?
It is to accept or reject between 2 or more options or offers. The human brain is very powerful, some choices are conscious and very deliberate. Some other choices are almost unconscious. For instance, someone offers you a red bag: but it’s not your favourite colour, the design is also not your taste, unconsciously your mind rejects the offer by default. Quite simply, it’s not what you want. On other issues, you may need to think it through before making a decision. Whether deliberate or unconscious decisions, for grace to be meaningful and of any consequence it has to be accepted. If not accepted, it becomes irrelevant. (Titus 2: 11) – ‘The grace that brings salvation has appeared to all men…… ‘ Although the grace for salvation is free, God expects us to make a conscious decision and accept his offer, else we cannot enjoy the benefit of that grace. But also with every acceptance or rejection comes a responsibility. There is the adage that You make your bed, you lie in it…. Both the benefits or consequences of your actions, you will be the first partaker.
Past wrong choices?
Atimes we could have made wrong choices in the past. The consequences of those bad choices will be real and you may not be able to totally undo them. But if you are heading in the wrong opposite motorway, the sensible way to your destination will be to turn around and start heading in the right direction. You can start mitigating against those negative consequences by making new right decisions today. In every aspect of our lives, it’s our prerogative to make the right choices. Here are a few questions we ‘ll need to ask ourselves regarding the day to day choices we make this year:
* My choices for this year: are they God led? Is it what God wants me to do?
* Are my choices the best on the long term or are they because of the temporary gain or benefits?
* Am I entering into relationships that can last over time?
* What will be the effect of my decision on my family, children or next generation?
* Will my children thank me for this decision in the future?
* Can this decision endure the test of time or can I see problems already down the road?
* Will these decisions lead to a fulfilment of purpose for me?
Remember Our memory verse for January:
2 Corinthians 9: 8
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
Grace is available. But what are we choosing?
Prayer focus: Ask for help to make the right choices…
On Grace: God’s lavish Grace – Terry Virgo
Masterlife Workbook: The Church is embarking on weeks of discipleship workbook study starting with the Masterlife: Disciple’s cross.
