Choices

   Freedom of choice is one of the greatest blessings God gave mankind.  The ability to decide for ourselves what to do with our day, our week, even our life.  It is also one of the most dangerous blessings given us by God.  With the ability to choose for ourselves comes the responsibility to choose wisely.

   Our first parents abused their freedom of choice by making the decision to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Satan had convinced them that this knowledge would make them like God and they fell for his lie.  Their choice resulted in their eviction from the Garden of Eden and loss of the family relationship they had held with God.  A loss that extends to us today.

   When God confronted Adam with the fact that he had eaten from the tree Adam’s response was to blame it on Eve.  Not only her but on God as well, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me the fruit of the tree, and I ate.” (Gen 3: 12).  When asked, Eve also placed the blame elsewhere, “The serpent beguiled me, and I ate. (Gen 3: 13).  Both very quickly looked to blame others for their bad choices.

   We are pretty much the same when it comes to taking responsibility for our sins.  We tend to look for an excuse for why we sinned rather than accepting that we made the decision of our own free will.  The devil made me do it is a common phrase and in some ways it is correct.  Satan certainly tempts us to sin at every opportunity.  Yet he can’t force us to sin, we have to make the choice to reject his temptations or fall prey to Him.

   We face many choices every day.  Some are insignificant, some can greatly impact many things in our lives and the lives of those around us.  Our daily choices are what will either bring us home to God or keep us from reaching heaven.  Adam and Eve suffered from pride; a desire to be like God.  We too suffer from pride; a pride that keeps us from turning to God in humility and sorrow, accepting responsibility for our failings and asking forgiveness.

When faced with choices keep in mind Jesus’ words, “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”  Our choices will determine whether we are among the few who find the narrow gate.