Scripture Reference: 2 Corinthians 2:5-16

Choices – Continued

All of life is made up of choices. I become a little uneasy around people who seem to make choices so effortlessly. It has never been easy for me and I suspect, if the truth were known, we all struggle with the alternatives life lays before us.

In deciding upon which college to attend, what career to pursue, and whom to marry (to mention a few of the choices we must make in life), I think it helps to ask both investigative and intuitive questions. What impact will this choice have upon my life? my family? What are the pros and cons of both choices? And, how do I feel about choosing this or that path?

For the Christian, of course, there is always the consideration of God’s will. Which path does He want me to take? Rather than simplifying the decisions we must make, I think that seeking the will of God can be a complex process. I hear people testify that God spoke to them telling them both what to say and do in various situations of life. That has never been my experience. I often struggle to know God’s will in the choices of life. There have even been times I’ve had to make decisions when, after much prayer and reflection, I was still a little uncertain as to the will of God for my life. However, a note of relief is that, at least for me, God has always confirmed His will. He is pleased with our faith (Hebrews 11:6).

There are two things I have come to believe. One is that God truly leads us in triumph in the choices we make in life. Sometimes, however, the triumph is experienced as we look back on life and see how the hand of God has guided us. The other is that, when we make wrong choices, and all of us have at times, God is still able to use us wherever and in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.

The one-time White House “hatchet” man Charles Colson, who was convicted in the Watergate scandal and sent to prison, was used by God in spite of the foolish choices he had made early in his life. While serving time in prison, he was dramatically converted, and God gave him a vision of a path down which he could travel to a life of usefulness and productivity. Today, Colson operates the most successful and far-reaching prison ministry in the United States. “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ” in the choices we make through life. He will lead you, and you must believe that. Don’t expect it to be an easy or simple process.

Eternity

The most compelling triumph we experience in Christ is in the arena of eternity. The apostle wrote in verses 14-16:

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.

Paul employed the image of the Roman army to illustrate the victory that is ours in eternity. Whenever a commander of the Roman army marched into the city after experiencing victory at battle, all of his soldiers and subjects would march in a victory parade. Some would carry flasks of burning incense and the fragrance would fill the air. To the soldiers of victory the fragrance was a sweet aroma. To the soldiers of defeat who were led into captivity, however, it was the stench of death.

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
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