The Easy Road Is Never Easy In the Long Run7/2/2017

Good Morning,

I am awake but my mind and body seem to be numb this morning. Our Springer Spaniel Gibbs afforded to me some extra sleep, but in retrospect I think I should have gotten out of bed earlier. I will admit to the world today that the thought of Christmas still instills the same excitement in me that it did when I was a child. So to celebrate early I am drinking a big cup of Door County White Christmas Coffee. Now if I only had the Christmas tree in it's place and some snow on the ground I would be the golden boy.

James 4:17New King James Version (NKJV)
¹⁷ Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

We all will reach a road of choices in this lifetime and the choices might be simple and then there are the ones that are gut wrenching, seem to be a lose/lose proposition, and are going to hurt no matter what you do. Now that is the picture that we paint through our own eyes. When it comes to making a choice there is only one way to look at it and that is through the eyes of God. Doing the right thing, the good thing, might have it's pain yet, Jesus clearly gives us His expectations and warns us that it isn't easy. The easy road is not always the right road. The well lit path is not always the one we need to follow. God always reveals the correct choices and Satan will always offer another choice.

Luke 9:23New International Version (NIV)
²³ Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Luke 9:57-62New International Version (NIV)

The Cost of Following Jesus

⁵⁷ As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
⁵⁸ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

We need to place our choices in God's hands and during those times He often tests our hearts, especially if in it we have to choose against something we value. Paul has the right perspective when he wrote to the Philippian church

Philippians 3:7-9New King James Version (NKJV)
⁷ But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

If we start to base decisions on potential pain or loss and not on God's Word we could be in for a long haul when God disagrees.

Now decisions that don't resonate as popular are so, so difficult. But we have God's promise to us that we can count on.

Philippians 4:13New King James Version (NKJV)
¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Note that Christ strengthens us in the right time and place and nothing is too difficult for God. I suggest that when He strengthens us it leaves us stronger to endure the next event in life.

Matthew 19:26New International Version (NIV)
²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

I for one have learned this valuable lesson the hard way and it leaves a bad taste on reputations and our relationship with God. So tomorrow I will write on what to do when we make the wrong choice.
"That moment in time when we need to teach and learn at the same time"

God bless and Merry Christmas in July.

Marty