Life in general does not usually feel like a huge deal. Today is just a Monday. The weekend is just the weekend. 2014 is just another year. The decisions that we have to make today may be somewhat important but they’re not life and death issues…or at least that’s the way it seems. I’m working through the book of Proverbs and Proverbs 10:16 says…

The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death.

This passage is indicating a very distinct difference between the righteous and the wicked. Those who have been made right with God through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and are therefore righteous make very different decisions from those who are living apart from God. We have the ability daily to choose life or death. In fact, those are our only two choices and we can’t choose not to choose.

The trouble is that we generally don’t realize the significance of our choices until it’s too late. In a moment, you have the ability to choose worry or trust. In a moment, you have the ability to choose to gossip about or support a friend. Every day you have the ability to choose lust or fidelity. You can choose to lie or tell the truth….to do the right thing or keep silent….to cut corners or have integrity…to lose your temper or show self-control. These are the decisions of every day and they are life and death decisions.

There are people who are still living who died a long time ago. There are also people who are alive now but they used to be dead in their sins. It’s moment to moment decisions that change things deep within our hearts.

How is your heart right now? Really? We live in a culture that prioritizes outward appearance over internal well-being but this is completely backwards. If you’re alive on the inside, everything will flow out of that. If you’re dead on the inside, nothing else in your life will matter. When was the last time you made a decision that prioritized the well-being of your soul? I love the quote that says, “The glory of God is man fully alive.” This means that living for God and being fully alive go hand in hand. John 10:10 says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” That’s Jesus speaking and he’s telling us that it’s his desire that his kids live full and abundant lives. This life is accessible to believers but we must choose it. Choosing that life generally doesn’t come in one monumental decision but rather in hundreds of small decisions that add up.

What do you need to do to choose life today?