“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT
When I first became a Christian, I decided that I would somehow find a way to live in two different worlds. I was planning to hang out with my old friends and still be a Christian. For a time, I felt as though I were in a state of suspended animation. I was not comfortable with my old buddies, but I was not quite comfortable with the Christians, either. So, I decided to be Mr. Solo Christian. I even said to my friends, “Don’t worry about me. You’re thinking that I will become a fanatic and carry a Bible and say, ‘Praise the Lord.’ It will never happen. I am going to be cool about this. I will not embarrass you, but I am going to believe in God now. However, as God became more real to me and I began to follow Him more closely, He changed my life and my outlook. As a result, my priorities began to change.
On your Christian journey, you will find that there are people who will discourage you from growing spiritually. They will say things like, “I think it is good that you are a Christian. I go to church too—at Christmas and Easter and for weddings. But you are getting a little too fanatical. You brought a Bible to work the other day. That is going a little too far. We were so embarrassed. You are no fun anymore. We are glad you have made changes in your life, but we are afraid that you are going to become too extreme.“
When you are faced with people like this, you have the choice either to do what God wants you to do or to go with the flow. You will find that there are consequences for each option. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” (NLT). Choosing life includes choosing people who encourage you to live the life God offers. The apostle Paul’s instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 are clear: “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing” (NLT). The believers who take those instructions to heart are the ones we should be surrounding ourselves with. The Christian life is a challenge. The people who recognize that and offer words of comfort, wisdom, and encouragement along the way are extremely valuable resources. They counteract the negativity and discouragement that others throw our way. Are you going to let people hold you back? Are you going to let people discourage you from wholehearted commitment to Jesus Christ?
