Everyone has to make choices; it is an inescapable, essential part of daily life. The choices we make can define us to a certain extent. The result can either be good or bad, acceptable or unacceptable. However, because there can be dire consequences of our choices, caution and wisdom should be exercised.
When God created man, He gave man a “free will” of his own; so that man could choose to do whatever he pleases — whether for good or evil.
There are several instances recorded in the Bible where personal choices had led to disastrous outcomes; notably Adam, God’s first created human. After God created Adam, He placed him in the garden of Eden with the instructions that he could eat of every tree in the garden except the “tree-of-the-knowledge-of-
The Bible says: “The LORD God commanded the man saying, You may surely eat of every tree of the Garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day you eat of it you shall surely die”(Genesis 2:16,17).
After this, the serpent (Satan) in contradiction of God’s warning to Adam, tells Eve, “You shall not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). Eve falls for the serpent’s lie, disobeys God, and talks Adam into disobeying God’s clear order. The result? Both Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden by God. Here we see the result of a bad choice, with disastrous consequences.
As a further result, sin came into the world. The Bible says: “Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).
Consider this, Adam’s and Eve’s choices brought ruin on the human race. The lesson here is that disobedience is sin and sinful choices will result in dire sinful consequences.
The Bible also presents another sinful choice by king David — a “man after God’s own heart,” who went for a walk and saw Bathsheba bathing. Instead of David looking the “other way,” and continuing on his walk; he decided to obtain information about Bathsheba with the intent to commit adultery.
David subsequently committed the sin of adultery with Bathsheba. That was the result of a bad choice. Then he made another bad choice, which was to have Bathsheba’s husband killed.
David was eventually confronted about his sins, which he did not deny. He said, “I have sinned against the LORD” (2 Samuel 12:13). And he decided to repent and he confessed to God saying, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight … Create in me a clean heart, O God . . . Restore to me the joy of your salvation” (Psalm 51:4,10,12). Psalm 51 gives a full account of David’s confession.
Although David made those sinful choices, yet he recognized that by choosing to confess and repent of his sins, he would be making the right choice.
There are people who blame others when they themselves are responsible for making the wrong choice. For example, Adam blamed his wife who blamed the serpent. In response to God’s questioning, Adam responded, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12,13).
We can clearly see that transferring blame for making wrong choices started with Adam and Eve, and it has continued to this present time.
Christians should always take time to pray and consult God’s Word for help and direction before making choices. For example, while David was rejoicing about the blessedness of his forgiveness, God said to him, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8). What God said to David is very applicable to Christians today.
Observe the personal pronouns God uses in the text to tell David of His intentions; “I will instruct you and teach you . . . I will counsel you.”
Granted God will instruct, teach, and counsel us in accordance with His divine will. In the prayer the Lord taught His disciples, it says, “Your will be done , on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). As our heavenly Father, God loves us and He knows what’s best for us.
The Lord Jesus graciously submitted to His Father’s will when the time was approaching for Him to go to the Cross and shed His blood for our sins, He prayed: “Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not my will but your will be done”
God also reigns and has supreme authority and absolute power over everything. The Scripture says, “God works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11). Therefore, we can absolutely depend on Him to give us wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in making right choices whenever the need arises.
Another biblical text to consider when making the right choice is Proverbs 3:5,6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.”