CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST

Return to CypresswoodJuly-August2007

August 19, 2007

25424 Aldine-Westfield, Spring, TX. 77373

www.geocities.com/adon77373/cypresswoodbulletin.htm

LIFT UP IN PRAYER:

Our congregation     Various friends, relatives. and co-workers

Our nation, leaders and military   The persecuted church

MAKING CHOICES

"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates; or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).

We all make choices. Sometimes we are faced with difficult choices and conflicts in those choices. We might even look at the consequences of this or that choice. How, as Christians, can we make choices that will reflect our lives in Christ? There is no easy answer to this question.

Some choices are done automatically, like stopping at a red light or stop sign. Other choices require us to think and study. Many people act on feelings without looking beyond the immediate gratification; does it make me feel good? Others just "do it" without thought. As I write this, a rather famous young actress was just arrested for the third time for drunk driving. Next year, we all have a choice of a new President and Congress. We look at the choices people make and often wonder what they were thinking when they made those choices. Sometimes we ask our children that. I remember a statement my kids high school soccer coach said one time. "My job depends on seventeen and eighteen year olds making the right decision on the field." Choices are seen in sports, politics and war. Congregations make choices, mostly through leaders who unfortunately think they understand more than they know. 

What happens after a choice is made? That too is something we do not always see. Unintended consequences are often seen too late to change the choice. David made a choice to commit adultery with a beautiful woman who then became pregnant. As king, he ordered her husband killed in battle. He married her and all was well - not. Because of this, he lost a baby son, a son murdered by another son, a rebellion in which a son took over against David and died in battle, and a household with a far different view of David. Maybe our decisions do not have as far reaching consequences as David's but they do have consequences. 

Randy Harris offered a number of illustrations and suggestions on how to make choices (1). One was that of a person who would hide Jews. As a Christian, we would consider lying wrong. But if the Gestapo came, would the Christian tell the truth and reveal the hiding place of a Jewish family or would he lie? Conflicted? What is one to do?

Here are seven suggestions on dealing with choices. The first suggestion or duty as Randy calls it is to do no harm. We do not want to hurt anyone. The second is to do good. Third, tell the truth. Fourth, keep promises. This is covenant keeping and it would be wise for us to follow the advice of the Torah and Jesus to make fewer promises. Five, respect autonomy. Give others the freedom to choose, to make their own decisions, to mature and learn to be rational in decision making. Six, keep justice or what is right in view, the idea of fairness. Finally, reparations are needed or the idea that you broke it, you need to fix it. We would see this in repentance and reconciliation. These suggestions or duties are for Christians committed to living in Christ.

But reading through them, we could see how one could come in conflict with another. So Randy suggests we ask questions. One, is there scriptural guidance? We must have some type of criteria to base our decisions on. God has given us His word on which we can study and find the guidance to life's questions. The Bible doesn't address every issue that we face. For instance, abortion is not mentioned in scripture, so how should we deal with it? We do not want to do harm and we want to do good. Would the disposing of a human baby fit these? What are the consequences? Here is where those unintended consequences come into play. There appears to be both physical and psychological problems associated with women who have had abortions. What scriptural guidance can we find? One is that we are made in God's image (Genesis 1:27f) and that God knows us before we are formed (Psalm 139). 

Next we need to ask why I am conflicted and which of the seven duties are in conflict? Is it telling the truth verses doing no harm. Go back to the Jews who are hidden. If one tells the truth, people die. There is the conflict. Now what? 

Play a game of musical chairs. Put ourselves in the position of all involved. It could be the abortion doctor, the woman who is seeking the abortion, the baby, the parents, the man who impregnated her, etc. This can be done for any issue. This is seeing it from another point of view, at least in understanding it. We need to be careful of tunnel vision. We often get frustrated with those who do not see our point of view, but we also need to see theirs as well.

How does this case fit with other cases? What examples or illustrations can we see or read about that will help us not only understand the situation but to make a decision? What is the big issue? It might not be what we think it is. The big issue might not be the color of a carpet in the auditorium but who is in control. There is a difference.

Make a decision. We can only do so much role playing. Does this decision correspond with the living Lord? How does it relate to scripture? Randy offered this illustration. He was asked to counsel a couple concerning their marriage, which is funny because he is single. He stated that they must have really been desperate. He asked the woman what the situation was and she said that God told her that she should not have sexual relations with her husband anymore. Randy asked the husband if God had spoken to him about this? He said no. Randy then explained 1 Corinthians 7:1ff to her. She didn't change her mind. We always have to go back to scripture in the decision making process.

Finally, be responsible. Too often people want to blame others for their mistakes. We have to accept responsibility for our decisions and actions. If we get pulled over for speeding, it is not the officer's fault. We do not like criticism but sometimes it comes through the choices we make.

Hopefully these suggestions will help us in our decision making.

                                                George B. Mearns

(1) Randy delivered these ideas at the Pepperdine University Lectureship (2007) and the Lipscomb Summer Celebration (2007). He is a professor at Abilene Christian University.