The Choice Is Yours

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Ecclesiastes 10:1
A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one (v.2).

A missionary friend who has lived in Uganda for
nearly 20 years recently told me that his wife
doesn’t enjoy their family’s annual trip to the
United States. The reason? “There are too many choices
there!” she says.


It’s true that—with fewer consumer products at our
disposal—life in Uganda can seem less complicated
than in the Western world. I’ve found, however, that I
still make just as many decisions here as in the US, but
they’re different.


In Uganda, where abject poverty is ever-present, I must
constantly choose how I’m going to respond to the street
kids knocking on my car window. Should I give food to
the hungry neighbors outside my gate? What should I do
for the children I know who are suffering inhumanely in
ill-equipped hospitals nearby?


Where does a person begin in helping Ugandans?
I still wonder after 3 years of living in this country.
Looking to Scripture for answers, I find that God
gives us the same guidance whether we live in a rich
country or a poor one. Ultimately, regardless of our
surroundings, like Joshua, we must first choose each
day “whom to serve.” Will it be the Lord or other gods?
(Joshua 24:14-16).


For those who make the choice to serve and fear the
Lord, “He will show them the path they should choose”
(Psalm 25:12). As we follow Him and are enabled to do so by His Holy Spirit,
God will direct us in matters of service and even in purchases we’re considering.


It’s true that we become the slave of whatever or whomever we choose to
obey. “You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose
to obey God, which leads to righteous living” (Romans 6:16). Let’s choose to
follow God today and reach out to others by His power.

—Roxanne Robbins

more›
Read Proverbs 22:1. Take a few minutes to consider whether you’ve
been pursuing material things more than a God-honoring life.


next›
How does whom or what you serve affect your daily choices? What
choice do you need to bring to God today?