The Power Of Choice

Joshua 24:15
......."Then choose today whom you will serve."

Orange slices.....
Love me some orange slices.....
Every time my Mom and I went to town she would stop by Sears or W.T. Grants to make a visit to the candy counter. There she would purchase a 1/4 pound of orange slices. And she would do so only if they were fresh. Such a delight would make the trip to town bearable, which is a good thing to a 10 year old boy who hated shopping.

Even today, these are still my favorite candy of all time. I guess because there are so many memories of this little orange delicacies. But life has a way of taking those delicacies and turning them into the "forbidden fruit".
You see, I have type II Diabetes.
Diagnosed back in 2001.
I regulate my diabetes through diet and exercise.
Here is where the rub comes in.

God has given me something that is both good and bad.
That would be free will, or the ability to choose.
I have the same free will / choice that Adam and Eve had. In fact, they are kind of responsible for this pickle humanity finds itself it.
You see, even though I have diabetes, I still have the ability to choose to eat those little orange delights. Yet doing so would not be good for me, and if I eat enough of them over a prolonged period of time, it could cause me serious health problems. So I choose to not eat them.

Now, take that ability to choose and spread it out over all our choices and we can see how we can make some pretty bad ones at times. Couple this ability to make a choice with the darkness of a heart that is driven by sin and you've got yourself a dangerous combination.
Such power can lead you into a darkness that is unlike any other. 
IT can lead you into addiction.
And the weird part about making this choice, you are driven by your sin/nature. Whether you want to believe that such an animal (sin nature) exist is up to you, but believe me, it does. And it will operate and influence every decision you make, especially when you are living outside the will of God.

The apostle Paul stated it best in Romans 7. "That which I want to do is the very thing I do....and that which I don't want to do....I do it anyway." I paraphrased Paul's words, but you catch the drift of it. Paul goes on to write...
"Wretched man that I am....who will deliver me from this BODY OF DEATH." Paul is very much aware of the nature that lives within him that controls and drives his every thought....Paul knew that living in such a state does qualify him to be a "wretched man". But he also knew the answer to his problem......Jesus Christ. This answer to our sin problem has not changed at all. From the moment Paul put pen to paper (or whatever it was written on) The answer to the sin/problem, or body of death as he called it, was found in one individual ....Jesus Christ. 

Today...
This morning...
May 25, 2016...
I choose to serve Jesus....
I turn will and live over to His care, and follow His instructions on how to live on this dark planet in such a way that I bring glory to His name.

It's all about what or who we choose to follow today.
God on you....
mbb