I Choose…Intentionally Choosing Jesus

The world’s cacophony grows ever louder.  My soul runs to stillness and seeks peace. Is it possible to live inside my self-made bubble? Experience says no.

So while turmoil heightens and contention spreads, I turn to God for solace.

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; (2 Corinthians 4:8)

Jesus distilled the law down to love

Jesus taught His disciples that while they lived in the world, they must not be part of it. I look to their example, as Jesus lived during a time of division, contention, and oppression. When their world demanded that they pick its side, Jesus revolutionized thought. Jesus clarified the meaning of a law taught for millennia by distilling the law down to two great commandments: Love the Lord thy God and Love thy neighbor as thyself.

This clarified understanding proved too hard for some of His hearers to bear. Some didn’t understand the application to their current situation with Rome. Some were appalled by His doctrine.  Some preferred an easier path with a more palatable Messiah. They walked away from Jesus.

I’ve thought a lot about that choice—the choice to not follow Jesus, and the fact that they could make that choice. I’ve thought a lot about the choices Jesus made, too—to maintain His standard, to love people enough to let them go, to honor agency.

I also choose. Every day. Sometimes I veer off-track from Jesus’s admonitions. But my heart longs for Him to abide with me at the end of the day.

I choose

Because my deepest desire is to be where Jesus is, I’m living more intentionally and learning to confidently make these choices beautifully penned by Max Lucado.

It’s quiet. It’s early. … The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive.

It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadliness to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose.

And so I choose.

I CHOOSE LOVE….

No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY….

I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical . . . the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE….

I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE….

I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS….

I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for their are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS….

I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS….

Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My [husband] will not question my love….

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS….

Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it only be in praise. If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer. If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL….

I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

~Max Lucado,  When God Whispers Your Name