I reflected yesterday about my decision-making history. Do you do this? Introspectively, I will review past decisions and weigh the “correctness” of those decisions. One thing that consistently comes back to me is how often my decisions are swayed by the assumed outcome of those involved.
While this is not always incorrect, it often is. This is because, while we care about the reactions of others, there is only one right decision, one right perspective, and one right direction to travel. There is only one path for each of us to walk, and that is the path of faithful love. As an earlier devotion noted, we are to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. And Jesus said if we love Him, we will keep His commandments.
We walk under direction of God’s guidance to bring glory to God alone. We decrease that God might increase, we abandon ourselves to serve Him who is even now saving us. We walk by faith sometimes called to say and to do things others simply don’t understand. How often does the Gospel message conflict with culture? We know that answer all too well.
Often “culture” is represented by those we love, and sometimes we care more about what they may think about a direction we know we should go than going the way we should go. This always creates problems more deeply than we realize.
There is a balance to be maintained here, and we desire that our directional responses are understood by others, and we should always be patient and kind and steadfast and joyful and bear the fruit of the Spirit. But at times, we must cut against the grain in obedience and we don’t know how it will be received.
We must always remember, our walk is to glorify God for all already gifted to us, and everyone must make a decision for themselves to walk with us on this journey, or not. But their potential decision and direction cannot rule ours, we are to be in step with the Spirit always.
So today consider this verse from Matthew 10:28 (ESV):
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Lord Jesus, you give us an example of true obedience rooted in love; help us to stay strong in you and follow your example in all we do, to the honor and glory of your Name, through which we pray. Amen.