Wise Choices

Scripture Passage: Psalm 1

I do not imagine anyone would knowingly choose the path of heartache and pain - perhaps some would.  But nearly all people would choose a path that they KNOW leads to joy and purpose in life.  The passage from the Bible today is Psalm 1 and it shows a clear contrast between two paths - the path of the righteous and the path of the wicked. 

The Psalms were essentially the worship guide for the Israelites.  They were put to music and sung unto the LORD.  So if Psalms is the worship guide, then Psalms 1 is the call to worship.

One leads to joy and purpose in life (path of the righteous) and the other leads to untold heartache and pain (path of the wicked).  One path is marked by wise choices (path of the righteous) and the other path is marked by foolish choices (path of the wicked). 

¹ Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
² But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

³ He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

⁴ Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

⁶ For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

(Psalm 1:1-6, NIV)

The psalmist describes a person who can find blessing (supreme happiness, joy that lasts) by avoiding the path of the wicked and following the path of the righteous.  The path of the righteous is guided by wise choices found in God's word.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:2, NIV)

That seems like a tall order - we all have people and responsibilities in our lives.  How can we carry out those responsibilities if we sit around "meditating" all day and all night?

Obviously, this is poetic language to make a point about the importance of God's word in our lives.  The Bible is something in which we should be delighted, not ashamed.  The truth in God's word is something we should think about and dwell upon, not forget.

What does it mean to "meditate" on God's word?  Eastern religions teach a form of meditation that is the exact opposite of what the Bible teaches regarding meditation.  In the eastern religions, meditation involves emptying your mind of all thoughts and feelings in order to get in touch with the cosmos.  On the other hand, the Bible teaches that we are not to empty our minds but to fill it with the word of God:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16, NIV)

The purpose of meditating on God's word is to guide our thoughts, feelings, and actions in life.  Simply knowing God's word makes you an egghead ;-)  Knowing God's word and making wise choices is the path of the righteous.

There are some key choices you need to make in life.  They are choices.  You can choose to go this way or not.  But these are the main things, the most important decisions that lead to the blessed life the Bible promises.  Consider each one of these and be sure you choose wisely.

1. Choose to Follow

The number one choice you have is to follow Jesus.  The alternative is to follow something else, something less, something worse.  The path of the righteous is to follow the LORD Jesus.  That's what He told those He called as disciples:

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19, NIV)

He did NOT say:

• Follow these ten simple rules and be happy.
• Follow the golden rule and be happy.
• Follow this long complicated set of rules and be happy.

First and foremost you need to be in a loving relationship with God.  He made that possible through His Son, the LORD Jesus.  And He did not predicate it on being good, but being in a relationship with Jesus:

²⁸"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV)

You can choose to follow rules or you can choose to follow Jesus.  The path of the righteous is to follow Jesus.

To follow you must follow the person of Jesus.  Too many people think they must follow a set of rules to "be good" so that they can get to Heaven.  Listen - rules can be bent and compromised.  You can rationalize your way out of or into just about anything.

When you are WITH a person - not just any person but one who is so good and so loving toward you - your desire will be to love and please that person in return.  Your greatest fear will be causing that person shame because he or she is right there with you.

When you choose to follow Jesus, He stays right there with you:

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5b-6, NIV)

While we all know people who are generally good and generally loving, no one is perfect - except the LORD Jesus.  He is holy, righteous, good, loving, compassionate, and just at all times.  Remember whenever and wherever you are, Jesus is right there with you.  Every moment is holy and precious when you choose to follow Jesus.

Never allow yourself to lapse into the curse of following rules to get you to Heaven or to maintain your salvation.  Let's face it - deep down, many Christians have this thought that "I'm saved by Jesus but I must be good to get to Heaven."  The Bible is clear:

⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV)

Be clear about who/what you are following and why.  If you wisely choose to follow Jesus, the good works will follow too!  But you must follow the person of the LORD Jesus.  That is the first step on the path of the righteous.

2. Choose to Love

Love is the second step in the path of the righteous.  And it is a choice, not a feeling.  Because it is a choice, it is not something that comes at first sight, but at second, third, fourth, and on and on.

Can you choose to follow Jesus but choose not to love?

Jesus was once grilled by a lawyer who was trying to trap Him in His words.  He asked Jesus to name the most important commandment of God.  Whichever command He picked, the lawyer felt he could argue that another command was as important or more important.  After all, there were over 600 commands in the Law of Moses.

But Jesus answered him clearly and directly:

He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Luke 10:27, NIV)

The most important commandment seems like it is actually two commands.  But think of it as one commandment in two parts.  Both are necessary and each is dependent on the other.

Loving God

The path of the righteous involves loving God.  We love Him most intimately when we pray:

Be ... faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12, NIV)

Prayer is so much more than asking God to meet needs in your life or in the lives of others.  Prayer is your friendship time with God.  Even though He is invisible, He can be as real to you as your spouse when you pray.

How much do you love God?  Ask yourself how much you pray.  How much quality time do you spend with Him?

Loving Others

You cannot love God without loving others.  After all, Jesus told us:

If you love me, you will obey what I command. (John 14:15, NIV)

Now wait a minute - are we back to following rules?  No, obedience is a love response to a loving God.  Following rules is something I do to make myself (in my own mind) acceptable to God and to others.  Following rules is something I do for myself.  Obedience is what I do for God because He loves me so much.  Obedience is a desire while following rules is a duty.  Loving God naturally overflows in our hearts with a desire to love others.

The two commands are interdependent.  You also cannot love others without loving God.

¹⁶This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. ¹⁷If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? (1 John 3:16-17, NIV)

Loving God overflows into loving others. 

So if you are not very loving toward others, check your love for the LORD first.  Make sure things are right in that relationship.  They cannot be right unless you are reaching out and striving to meet the needs of others in your sphere of influence (Ken Hemphill calls this your SPLASH zones  ¹ ).

Is your love confined to a small circle of "comfortable" people - your close friends or your small group?  Remember how Jesus loved you even when you were not His friend (Romans 5:8)?

3. Choose to Grow

A disciple is a learner.  If you have no intention of learning anything about Jesus or His word, then you are not His disciple.  Choosing to follow Him and to love are two important steps.  The third step is to choose to grow - to be His disciple.

This requires that we set aside time to study the Bible and understand its meaning and application to our lives:

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! (2 Peter 3:18, NIV)

Bible study happens in three ways:

• Individually
• Small groups
• Corporate worship

Through these three channels, we learn what the Bible says, what it means, and how to apply it in our lives.  Bible study that does not accomplish these three goals is useless.

The application of the Bible truth or principle is the goal of Bible study.

To grow in grace and knowledge, we must do more than just KNOW God's word.  In order to LEARN it, to be His disciple, we have to put it into practice.  This requires that we serve God: 

⁴There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. ⁷Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.  (1 Corinthians 12:7-11, NIV)

If you are not serving God in some capacity, you are not growing.  It is just not possible to grow without putting into practice what you learn.  This involves serving God in various ways.  As this Scripture passage tells us, we each have gifts from the LORD to use in serving Him.  And He gives us these gifts "for the common good" (1 Cor. 12:7, NIV).

No one has a right to claim special treatment because of their gifts (pastors be on guard!).

No one has the right NOT to use the gifts God has given them.

The path of the righteous involves choosing to grow.  This means you will study and serve.  They go together to enable you to grow.

4. Choose to Witness

The fourth step in the path of the righteous is the choice to witness. 

Can you follow Jesus without witnessing to others?

So many Christians see this as optional when it is one of the core, foundational choices we must make. 

You know, last words are important.  If you knew you were living your last moments on Earth, what would you say to your spouse or your children?

• What was the score of that game last night?
• Did anyone win the lottery?
• Can you believe that (name of an actress) cheated on her husband?

None of these things would be your last words.  You would tell your spouse or your child the most important things of all.

Look at the last words of our LORD Jesus just before He ascended to Heaven:

¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20, NIV)

Jesus not only wants you to be His disciple - He wants you to be a disciple-making disciple.  He wants you to share the gospel with people in a real and tangible way.  He wants you to courageously engage people regarding their own personal faith.

Why does it take courage to share the most incredibly good news on Earth?

• We allow the world and the devil to put fear in our hearts instead of love.  God's people must fear God and not man. 

Can we choose to love others without sharing the gospel that saves them from sin and death?

Can we stand silently while people pursue a wicked path that rejects the grace of God in Christ?

It has been rightly said of the church:  there is no "plan B."  The "church" is not responsible for witnessing, the "pastor" is not responsible for witnessing, the gifted "evangelist" is not responsible for witnessing - you are.  If you choose to follow Jesus, you will learn to share the gospel and you will share the gospel with people you know and meet.

You can learn a very simple way to share the gospel in this presentation:

• The Gospel of GRACE

Or, if you like to draw pictures:

• One-verse Evangelism

Or you can simply share a tract with someone and go through it with them:

• Steps to peace with God (by Billy Graham)

There are many more ways to share - the important thing is get equipped so you can share and to engage the people you meet regarding their own faith.  If they are open to hearing what the Bible has to say about Heaven, you then have the glorious opportunity to share the good news with them.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. (Proverbs 11:30, NIV)

Conclusion

The blessing for you is in making wise choices.  If you choose to follow Jesus, love God and others, grow through study and service, and witness, you will have a fruitful, productive life that gives you great satisfactions.

If you start to compromise and hold back in any of these four areas, you are making foolish choices.  There is a righteous path and a foolish one. Choose wisely.

End Notes

1. Hemphill, Ken. SPLASH. Tigerville, SC: Auxano Press. 2007. Print.

Copyright 2009, Randy Lariscy.