Choosing or Refusing / Mrs Hannah Hon

Mrs Hannah Hon

Pastor's Wife

Grace Baptist Church

Columbus, GA

Choosing or Refusing

I love Pinterest, and I love to look at all the wonderful DIY projects. My husband always takes a deep breath whenever I tell him that I tried something new off of Pinterest, and with good reason, as there have been many failed attempts compared to my few successful ventures in the fantasy life of my Pinterest boards.
One such failed attempt took place at the first church my husband pastored, at a ladies’ fellowship where we were attempting to make some really cute Turkey Cookies that I had seen online. As I had gone to the store earlier that day, in search of the different things we needed, I caught myself substituting pieces that the recipe called for, for more inexpensive parts. The more money I saved the better I thought my choices were for this project and I became excited to think that I would be way under my budget. As we began to assemble the “turkeys” it became quickly evident that my choices to save money lead to a slew of turkey cookies that resembled more a turkey apocalypse then they did a traditional and sweet, Thanksgiving turkey. The episode will forever be in my book as one of my biggest Pinterest fails due to my poor choices.   
We are faced with choices to make each and every day, choices to walk with God, to pray, to witness, to raise our children for the Lord, to work on having a Christ-centered marriage. The smaller, daily choices add up and soon produce the end results of what we see in our lives daily. Philippians 1:10 says “That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.” It is important that as face each day that our choices be based on Bible principles, that we choose the more excellent choices. So what does that mean for us each day?
Choose to walk with God each day! James 4:8 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…”   If we are not spending time in Gods word each day, we are missing the whole point of the day! It is in this quiet time each day that I find the strength, understanding, wisdom, and needed refreshment to do what needs to be done. Choosing to walk with the Lord, choosing to start my day with HIM, must be the first choice I make happen. The Psalmist said in Psalm 27:4 “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire
in his temple.”  Are you choosing to spend time in his word? Set that time aside now – plan now to read his word today!
Choose to spend time in prayer with him. 1 Chronicles 16:11 “Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually” Not only should we spend time in his word, but seek his face in prayer. For many Christians, their prayer life consists only of quick prayers like “Lord bless my day…” to get started, or the occasional “Lord bless this food…” before a meal. Daily we miss the power for the day that is found at the feet of Jesus. This is giving to our Savior out of only our small abundance of time – if you are only giving to him out of your abundance, what have you really given him except your leftovers? There is power in prayer and if we would but stop and take the time to enter into our prayer closets we would see the difference speaking to an almighty God makes in just a short time.
Choose to be a witness! Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Sharing the good news of salvation should be a choice we pursue to make as frequently as possible. We live in a world that is lost and dying and time is running out! I am just as guilty as the next person of allowing myself to be oblivious to the lost around me as I set out to get my needs accomplished, whether at the store, or out with my family, the gas station. We need to make a conscious choice to present the gospel at every opportunity, and the go in search of those opportunities. We need to choose to be a witness. 
Choosing to read his word, spend time in prayer, be a witness, is just the tip of the iceberg of hundreds of choices we make each day. Eventually our choices will add up and our life story will be written, we will stand before the Lord and have to give account to the choices we have made with our lives. I sure would hate for my life to be a series of bad choices that, to the Lord, looked like a Pinterest Life Fail! Instead I want to hear the words “Well done thou good and faithful servant”! To hear those words, I must seek to make choices that are honoring to Him! Choose to live for him, don’t refuse the blessings of what he is offering you today!