Power of Choice

Now, looking back at the last four years after graduating from college, I am really starting to understand the importance of the choices you make in life. During my four years in college, early on, I made choices that did not align with my faith. I made choices that did not match the purpose God had for me. I chose to spend more time on everything else in my schedule—except God. It was almost laughable for me to call myself a Christian, yet a small block of 15 minutes of listening to gospel music or reading a chapter in the Bible was what I considered my relationship with God. I share that with you because it was a lie I kept telling myself. I said, “God is number one and everything else comes after,” but my time and my actions didn’t reflect that. I wasn’t doing things for God—I was doing them for myself.

In my final two years, God took away my ability to play football—first with a wrist injury, and second with a knee injury. Both required surgeries. For someone who had never had surgery before, or who had never missed any part of the season due to injury, this was a wake-up call. Why did this happen? Because ultimately, I had taken my eyes off Him. In a 24-hour day, I was giving God only 15 minutes before my first injury. After that injury, I started giving God one hour each day, and I applied what I learned from that hour throughout my day.  Once I was cleared to play again, I slowly began to take my eyes off Him once more. The week before my second injury, I had spent a total of only five minutes with God.

I would always hear the phrase, “He is a jealous God.” (Joshua 24:19 ) I heard it, but I never truly understood what it meant—until now. Applying God to every aspect of my life and decisions is a requirement, not a choice.

The world promotes everything as if we have full control and real freedom of choice and it’s deceiving. For example, our phones. We fully believe we can do anything we want through them. The world keeps adding new things and keeps telling us we have all the power, but is it really us? Do we really have that power? God alone allows everything we do. Yet we keep telling ourselves, I did this and I did that—when none of it is true. Anything we take credit for becomes pride. Of course, we play a part, but over the past four years, I wasn’t being realistic about the part I played in my relationship with God. My part is my sin and everything I do wrong. Yet we want to pound our chests and stand tall for that—no one wants to admit the truth.

At the end of the day, I thank God for allowing me to fall short. Because if I hadn’t, I would still be thinking that the success in my life came from me. Thank You, God.

PRAYER: Father I come to you a child of Your wonderful kingdom. I ask that You continually humble me in all ways. I pray You open my eyes to my pride and continue to show me ways I can give You the glory. I thank You for everything, because none of this is possible without You. Amen.
By Bro. Joshua Buck