Celebrate the Choice

I lead a college girl's Bible study on Thursday nights. I get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Maybe it's getting away from my kids and hanging with the girls or maybe it takes me back to my college days. I can't put my finger on why I love doing this so much but I really do. This session I decided to lead a study on the book of James. Tonight we discussed James 1: 1-8 and through our talks, scripture reading, and revelation I discovered something to celebrate that I never considered celebrating before.

In this passage of scripture, James is urging us to "consider it pure joy" when we face trials in life. This passage has spoke to my soul recently and I discussed with the girls the concept of joy being a choice. When James is saying "consider" and he truly means it. We have a choice. The choice is ours to look at our trials as joy or to look at them and despair.

When we choose joy we are announcing to the world that our God is in control and can handle whatever life throws at us. It's not always an easy choice and sometimes we have to daily surrender and allow ourselves to be joyous but if we do and if we choose joy, God can show the depths of His love, wisdom, and grace in a mighty way. He can teach us what it's like to truly live and give us a sense of peace and security that only comes from our Heavenly Father, oh yes my friends choosing joy when we are surrounded by death allows our soul to live and not just survive.  Joy puts a spotlight on God's love and goodness and this discipline blesses not only us but everyone who is watching to see how we will handle our situation.

But joy is a choice. God loves me so much He didn't want to force me to love Him back. He loves me so much He was willing to allow me to choose so I could truly experience the depth and richness of this emotion. God knew times would be tough and He knew satan would be there to make me feel inadequate, worthless, and sub par. So he commanded us to choose joy. Choose to give Him the baggage so we could enjoy the walk wherever it leads. But he's not going to make you. In the end it's your choice.

As I contemplate my day I realize how thankful I am for the ability to choose. I celebrate the depth of God's love and the desires to make me what I am and love me for  who I am. He will never force His love upon us. It's our choice. Which makes those of us who chose it, celebrate and sing because He is our God and we are His!

Without the choice we would all be the same and very robotic. No uniqueness or spiritual gifts to make mold us in how we serve. The choice makes His love so much sweeter and the love I have for Him so much fuller. I get it now, Jesus loves me Because He choose to love me. He made His choice  at the dawn of creation to love us more than anything else He created. No other religion has a God that chooses to become a man and save His people so they may have the choice to worship and love Him. So now the choice is ours. We can choose to celebrate or we can choose to despair. In the end  the choice is ours. I'm so thankful He loved me enough to let me choose  for with the choice comes risk but risk has big rewards. Are you ready to step out my friend. Are you ready to celebrate?

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. (‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭2-8‬ MSG)

“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. (‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭30-33‬ MSG)