A friend of mine recently chose to leave his wife and his family for another woman.  His family devastated and his wife distraught, he knew that it was a bad choice, the wrong choice, and yet his own discomfort in his present circumstances led him to ignore all that he knew and leave anyway. What was most surprising was that this is not a bad man. He is a very good man, a very unselfish, Godly man; and yet in the midst of what he perceived as pain and some failure, he chose to walk away.

Many if not most of our choices that we make through the day fit into this category.  We are faced with a choice to follow what we know is right by faith or to manipulate circumstances in an attempt to relieve our discomfort.  It may be a matter of choosing honesty over dishonesty, respect over disrespect, or fidelity over infidelity.  In each instance we have an opportunity to decide if we believe, really believe, that God has our best in mind or if we need to manipulate circumstances to make sure that we don’t lose.

I have heard so many Christians speak about how this Christian life isn’t about us. I have heard them comment on how we make the mistake of trying to figure out what’s in it for us.  The problem is that this Christian life is about us.  Jesus died for us.  He didn’t die for himself.  It’s not like God needs us to finally feel complete or to stroke his ego.  No, he died for us because he loved us and was heart broken that we had lost our way.  The whole of this Easter message is that Jesus came for us!  And that, you see, is our security.  That is why men can sacrifice their lives for others, can live with momentary discomfort and fear, because they know that God is for them.

The choice is not between selfishness or sacrifice, the choice is between faith in the really good thing that God has for us and manipulation of our present circumstance to forge our own future.

As you prepare to celebrate Easter, may the reality of the season help to make your many choices through the day a little clearer.

To the King,

David