God Honors Our Choices, Even When They Lead Us away from Him
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Are they leading me to know Jesus better?
Do they value all human life?
These are some questions that can help you determine if your closest relationships are life-giving or maybe are keeping you from growing in your faith walk. We must guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23), which requires that we are picky when it comes to our very most important relationships.
God offers many warnings when it comes to how we should care for our bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:8 tells us to flee from sexual immorality, as it is one sin that is specifically against the body. Proverbs 25:28 explains how valuable self-control is and the text likens someone without self-control to a city without any walls. 1 Corinthians 9:27 says that discipline helps keep our bodies under control so we don’t sin against God. God emphasizes to us over and over that we must learn how to control ourselves, because when we don’t there are so many potentially negative consequences for our actions.
Yet, he does not stop us from choosing to eat too much cake, from speaking those awful words, from allowing ourselves to experience drunkenness or the effects of a controlled substance, and we are free to engage in immoral sexual acts. If we choose to step away from his instruction, God allows it. He doesn’t stop pursuing us, but he also gives us over to our own passions.
When we choose our way and not his, there are consequences. If we overindulge, our bodies suffer. If we fail to control our tongues our relationships suffer. If we give over to a substance our minds suffer. And if we step outside of God’s design for our sexuality there are many consequences we have to navigate.
God’s word is not designed to be a “killjoy”; it's a guide on how to best live this life that he has gifted us. When we follow his instructions, we find we can experience the goodness of the Lord much more fully while here in the land of the living. He gives us free will as a gift, but also warns us that when we disregard his instructions, our suffering often increases.
Psalm 150:6 declares that everything that has breath should praise God! One important way we can know God is through our worship. We were created by him and for him. He deserves our honor and praise.
God gives us many guidelines on how to worship him. We are told in the 10 Commandments to have no other God before God (Exodus 20). John 4:24 tells us to worship in spirit and in truth. Romans 12 tells us that our bodies are a living sacrifice unto the Lord. Psalm 95 instructs us to kneel before our Maker. Hebrews 12 says that gratitude is a part of how we worship God. Isaiah 12 tells us to sing his praises! Psalm 63 encourages us to lift our hands in praise to our God.
On and on go these Scripture passages that tell us that our lives are to be filled with worship, praise, and gratitude.
Yet, many of us have chosen to exclude the act of worship from our lives. We grumble with ungrateful hearts. We ask God why he hasn’t done more for us and forget to thank him for the many gifts that we are given daily. When we choose to see ourselves as smarter, bigger, and more entitled than God, bitterness begins to steal our joy. It becomes harder and harder to find contentment when we are unwilling to surrender our lives over in worship to our maker. He refuses to force himself upon humanity though. While he knows we are made to worship him, we are not forced to worship.
The lesson we can take from God’s word is that he honors our choices, but offers warning when he knows something is not in our best interest. It’s vital that we study his words so we know what his way looks like. God’s way is the only path that leads to life and life more abundant!
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