Choices

[missmuffet]

Choices are like a fork in the road. There is not a day that all of us do not make a choice. With this right of choice there exists man's gravest responsibility. On choices human destiny depends. The Holy Spirit woos, the Gospel calls. 

We all are familiar with Lot's choice and we are also familiar with Lot's wife choice. 

[AdHoc]

4 hours ago, missmuffet said:

Choices are like a fork in the road. There is not a day that all of us do not make a choice. With this right of choice there exists man's gravest responsibility. On choices human destiny depends. The Holy Spirit woos, the Gospel calls. 

We all are familiar with Lot's choice and we are also familiar with Lot's wife choice. 

Quite. I see a string of decisions made by Lot that ended in drunken incest, in Zoar, which means "insignificant", and which produced two of Israel's worst enemies. This is the Holy Spirit's opinion of Lot;

7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (2 Pe 2:7–8)

What happened to "just" and "righteous" Lot? Here is the chronology:

• Abraham was told to leave his family and kinsmen. He took Lot with
• Abraham's and Lot's wealth divided them, and God had his way - Abraham removed from his "kinsmen"
• Lot chose by sight - not by faith. He looked at the well-watered plain of Sodom
• Lot was curious - he pitched his tent towards Sodom
• Lot like the good life - he "dwelt" in Sodom
• Lot liked political power - he dwelt in "the Gates of Sodom"
• Lot did not raise his son's well - when ten righteous were no found, his family could have made up ten if his sons and their servants came
• Lot was offered the high ground but he refused and ended in Zoar - one of the lowest geographical points on earth (Abraham was near Hebron which means "fellowship" and on a high plateau)
• Lot did not look back, but his wife did. She enjoyed the sights, sound and prestige of a prominent wife's position
• Lot's wife looked back because she was attached to her sons-in-law
• Lot's wife looked back at her home comforts for Lot was wealthy

How many of these decisions were not decisive in them-selves, but the sum of them was catastrophic? How many of us are making decisions every day, the sum of which will end in "shipwreck" - as Paul said. For instance, why are the five foolish Virgins in Matthew 25 called foolish? What was the reason that they had no extra oil in their vessels? They (i) thought it was for free, and they (ii) thought that one Christian can be the supply for another in judgment. Wrong DECISION. It cost them the Wedding Feast that they had waited so long for.

Did you make the right decision to day?

[Ray12614]

Good post, appreciated greatly.

Using my wife as an example, she and her sister grew up in the same house, with the same parents, same conditions, same opportunities etc.  My wife chose to make the most of bad situations, and her sister chose not to. My wife chose to come to Jesus, and serve Him, and her sister chose not to. (long story there but for sake of time will not go into details) 

The end result is my Wife is a lovely god-fearing Christian woman who is loving, dedicated, and happy. Her sister is a bitter, jealous, burnt-out hag of a woman who hates God for the choices she made over the years of her life. Yes, my sister-in-law could turn her life over to Jesus, but her refusal to take personal responsibility for her choices, and blame others for every bad choice she has made is keeping her in bondage to this day.

Choices DO matter . . . 

Grace and Peace . . . Ray . . . 

[JohnR7]

19 hours ago, missmuffet said:

Choices are like a fork in the road.

I remember we were in American Fork Utah, and we rented a room in the old hotel there. We had to decide if we were going to get married or not. We did get married at the Christian church there. A church that has been there for 140 years. It was most likely a mistake because the marriage only lasted for around 3 years but we did have a son. God said to be fruitful and multiply. So how would it have been right to choose not to get married and not to bring our son into the world. Even though the pastor at the time said he would marry us but he advised us not to get married. He did not feel we were compatible. I ended up being a single parent for 12 years. He was grateful that we brought him into the world. His sister went to heaven even before she made it to the womb. I had a very vivid dream about here once in Heaven with the two angels assigned to take care of her. 

[missmuffet]

Some ungodly choices can have consequences. 

[RV_Wizard]

Sometimes, good otherwise people choose evil because it offers immediate pleasures, even if the later results are bad.  We get drunk knowing that the hangover follows.  We get high knowing that depression follows.  We engage in adultery knowing we could sire children we may not want to care for.  Every turn away from God takes us further from the person we are intended to be.  Fortunately, it is us who have turned away, not God.  Jesus still stands at the door, knocking.  We can still open the door to Him, invite Him in, and turn way from the things that have led us into darkness.  Darkness and light cannot co-exist.  The light of God's love can chase away the darkness in our souls.  True love and joy are only a prayer away, regardless how lost we may feel.  Addiction is a demon we cultivate inside us.  However, no demon can dwell in the same place as the Holy Spirit.  Let us choose to embrace the Lord and His light, and let that light drive the darkness from us.