Chose life

What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase, “chose life.” I think for most people of faith they think of the decision a mother and in some cases a father must make when they discover that they are expecting. Those of us that believe that the Bible is God’s word and our authority for believing what is true and behaving according to God’s will, also think of the value of the life of the unborn and how it should be protected.

When Moses was passing the baton of leadership to Joshua in preparation for Israel to go in possess the promised land, he challenged God’s chosen people,

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. (Deuteronomy 30:19-20, ESV)

While the life of the unborn is implied here, Moses was challenging the nation of Israel and us by application to make a choice that God does not make for us! His sovereign control over human history is a clear claim of scripture. God never views the course of human history saying, “Wow I didn’t plan on that happening!” His sovereignty does not, however, remove the responsibility that we as His image bearers have to “choose life.” Have you chosen life?

The pathway to life that is truly life—an eternal quality of life both now and forever—is not a mystery. Moses spells out that pathway is loving the Lord you God, obeying what He says and holding fast to Him.

Choosing life that is truly life—the life of flourishing according to His design, is a wonderful life of loving Him more than myself. It is a purposeful life of following His will rather that doing what I feel like doing. It is an intentional life that seeks an intimate relationship with our Lord, like a child who holds on to a parent’s hand or a couple who holds hands while walking together!

As people of faith in Christ, like the children of Israel, loving pleasure, possessions and popularity are easy pathways to choose. Allowing stuff, substances and significance to compete with our affections for the Lord is a daily temptation. When we first believed in our Savior, we chose life in Christ for eternity. The challenge to choose life does not stop with that choice to trust Him for forgiveness of sin and eternal life. No, may we daily choose life by setting our affections, our actions and our attachment upon the One who loves us and gave His life for us.