Milestones of Commitment: Don't Turn Back! - Part 2

Have you ever been lost? I mean really lost where it was difficult to find your way? Now we have GPS to tell us exactly where we are in addition to how far we are from our destination. Even with the best technology to help make a course correction, we’re still subject to bad choices.

There are many ways to get lost when distractions are so prevalent. Entertainment news presented a young actress who became addicted to drugs and alcohol as a teenager and remained so until her mid-twenties. She essentially lost touch with herself, her family, and the talents God had given her. Taking that wrong turn was a personal choice.

This young woman reached a positive milestone when she chose sobriety and committed to staying that way. Choosing righteousness over evil set her free from habits that had kept her bound up in sin. Committing your life to Christ without reservations is a milestone that endures for eternity. It means choosing a God-centered pathway for your life.  

Critical Choices & Long-range Consequences - Part 2

Coming to a crossroads in life is not uncommon, although it may create uncertainty concerning which way to go. Changing directions has the potentiality for creating long-range, positive results or just the opposite. For each person whom God calls to be a follower of Jesus Christ, God continues to provide confidence of that calling throughout life.

A friend decided early in adolescence to be a career military officer. Three years into his first tour of duty he sensed God had other plans. To leave the military would mean giving up his dreams. This was a difficult choice, fraught with sadness and apprehension. However, he knew there would be a void in his life if he refused God’s call.

When the Apostle Paul was on his second missionary journey, the Holy Spirit prevented him from preaching the word in Asia. He later had a vision of a man of Macedonia begging him to come to his country and preach God’s word to them. As we seek God's will in prayer and with patience, He will make clear His plan and purpose for us.  

Redeeming Bad Choices - Part 3

If we had a choice, most of us would choose life without hardships and glitches.  When we're honest, we have to admit that troubles derive from our bad choices.  Not that we seek trouble, but we make poor choices that yield painful consequences.  Perhaps you've heard, "Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad choices."

Experiencing bad choices is often necessary for personal change and growth.  A crossroad can be paved with trouble, heartache, pain, and suffering.  The narrowness of the passage is significant since we cannot escape making necessary changes.  There are times when we need to be made aware of what we've allowed our lives to become.

However not all crossroad experiences result in pain and suffering.  A  crossroad can lead to our finest hour, indicating we made good choices.  This turn in the road can lead to new discoveries that produce strength for living. God's word points out that we cannot imagine what great things God has in store for those who love him!  Isn't that exciting?

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.