Redeeming Bad Choices - Part 1

Jesus tells about a young man demanding freedom from the restrictions of a family system he refused to accept. He believed his inheritance would be the means for funding fulfillment and happiness. Lacking the maturity for making wise choices, he soon found himself in a financial crisis.

Realizing he could never return as a son of privilege, he nevertheless chose to go home and face failure by acknowledging his bad choices. At this point his attitude reminds me of another story Jesus told about two men, a religious leader and a tax collector who went to the temple to pray. The religious leader thanked God he was not like ordinary, sinful men.

The tax collector stood back, refused to look up, and pleaded with God to have mercy on him, for he was an undeserving, sinful man. The tax collector possessed an attitude of humility, which is absent of pride and arrogance. Psalm 25:9 reminds us God restores and guides the humble. This is your choice.

Consequences of Positive and Negative Reality - Part 3

It's not unusual for young people to dream of exciting adventures. Luke 15 describes a young man who wanted to escape from an unacceptable future, so he decided to pursue his dream of high adventure. In desperation, his dream ended in a farmer's hog pen filled with shame and humiliation.

It's normal to pursue self-determination and adventure, but being naive, impulsive, impatient, and unwilling to pay your dues often leads to disaster. God does not desire for us to end up in a pig pen, regardless of a how pig pen is defined. He does allow us to get there by our own devices, including disregard for truth and reality.

God eventually gives us opportunities to change bad choices. Elijah, the great Old Testament prophet got so depressed he wanted to give up and die while hiding from Jezebel, a powerful woman who was determined to kill him. In that depressed state, Elijah received insight from God on how he could continue to be a blessing to God's people and to God himself. God will do that for you.