Spiritual/Choice

Everyday is full of so many opportunities and each one requires me to make a choice. The first choice I have is to actually arise out of my sleep. Then what will I do next? It is my decision and responsibility to do whatever I want to do with the day. I have been taught that I should choose to go to work. I used to think I had to go to work because everyone else did and that’s why I should. Now that I have a family I choose to go to my job because I have a responsibility to make sure they are sheltered. See this choice (to go to work) had to be made because of another choice, marriage. If I wasn’t married I might care less if I went to work. Marriage produced a family and now I have others to think about. Not just myself.

Trying to follow Christ has become a bigger decision in my life than anything I have ever committed too. There are every day choices that have the potential to affect my relationship with Christ. Which one will I choose?

In this community of church I have heard you are spiritual when you pray or read scripture. How about this one. You are spiritual when you simply give thanks or acknowledge God. That sounds like I’m trying to get God off my back. Is there really a key focus on what is spiritual or not spiritual?

My mind goes back to the beginning, to the place where God created Adam and Eve. I don’t find where God might have mentioned to read anything. Yes, I know there was nothing to write with or on. So what about praying? Did God say to pray? Hey what about the worship? Where was worship mentioned in the beginning? Some of the first words recorded were God telling Adam that he could eat from any tree in the garden except one. He had a choice. I don’t think the tree of good and evil contained a special enzyme that would produce a mind altering condition and magically Adam knew the difference between right and wrong. Right now I’m starting to understand something that I have never thought of before. It was Adams choice to eat from the tree. Up until this time Adam’s character has been total obedience. There was a rule not to eat from a specific tree. Once he made a choice to break that rule a new world opened for Adam. Now every thought must include a filter that asks is this right? Which leads to creating a value. Adam was asked to show his devotion to God by choosing. We know that he made a bad choice but that descison has caused to create life's vlaues. Now our devotion to God can not be dictated by rules but is shown through values. Those vlaues require daily choices.

So what is the most spiritual thing I can do? Maybe it’s not worship, prayer or reading scripture. Now I'm telling myself to stop worship, prayer or reading scripture. These things are valuable to me. They became valuable because of my choices. Maybe the foundation of being spiritual is built on choice. I think choice is the most spiritual thing I do. I choose everyday what I will do and how I will live. I choose how to worship and when to pray. Even when others tell me how I should worship and pray. I still remember the night I made the choice to believe in Jesus. That choice still demands other choices. It is all about the choice. God told Cain to do the right things. It was his choice not too. I’m thinking that Jesus made the choice to carry the cross because it was the right thing. Love requires a choice. His choice produced worship, love and obedience to the Father. I’m sure it doesn’t stop at just these three. The list is longer and continues to grow. Joshua dares me to “Choose this day who I will serve!” What is my life's choice? -chuck

Note to self: Be sober about the day's first choice, it could determine my life's direction.