Choices!

Choices! They are supposed to make people feel powerful. Having choices allows people to say to someone else, "This is what I chose!" For some, choices provide a way to separate and identify. "I am one of those by choice. I win . . . I chose!"

However, choices are curious. There is amazing pressure in choosing. Just sliding along means there doesn't need to be a choice so then there is no marginalizing or type casting. Ah, but it has been said that not choosing is actually choosing anyway.

There was once a little guy standing on the front seat of the car. His mom was about to drive off, so she told him to crawl in the back and get into his car seat. The little tyke didn't move. She looked at him; he looked back. Her eyebrows went up; his went down. Finally, after a bit of a standoff, the boy crawled in the backseat and into his car seat. She smiled; he did not. She said, "thank you for sitting down." He said, "I'm still standing up on the inside!" Choices . . .

Jesus found as He got closer to the time of his crucifixion and He asked more of His followers, few of them wanted to make the more dicy choice. Being ostracized, scorned and ridiculed aren't exactly first choices for most people no matter the time or situation. So, as a good group of the "faithful" were leaving, Jesus looked to those who remained and said, "Do you also want to go away?" (John 8:67) Peter had a classic answer - "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." Peter continued to explain an ongoing event in their lives. "We have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God."

Choices! Something was happening in the lives of those closely following Jesus.  They had come to believe and know that Jesus was the Christ. It was an ongoing experience that had cemented them to Him. (Yes, we know that later on Peter had a crisis of doubt.) Making choices and living life with Jesus had rooted in them a conviction that there was no where else to turn.

How convinced are you that Jesus has the words of eternal life? Are there other places/ways you can go? Do you? It's about choices . . .

Father, how I want to be single minded and choose You and You alone. I know though, my choices don't always reflect my heart's desire. (Or honestly, they actually might . . .) Most people would say I'm faithful, but inside me I know my choices are sometimes suspect. Really, when it comes right down to it, no one but You has the words of eternal life. I know the choice is mine . . .