Decisions, decisions, decisions, all I seem to face is decisions.  What do I eat, what to where, what am I going to do today?  They even get to be more life changing, for example who and when will I marry or what will I decide to do for a living?  While these are all good and valid situations we find ourselves in, they pale in comparison to what we decide to do with Jesus.  Many, it seems, put off the decision “until a more convenient time” not realizing that in so doing “choose against” Jesus.  

In Mark chapter 10 we find a young man coming to Jesus seeking something he believed Jesus could help him with.  He was seeking what must be done to have eternal life… First he believed there was such an existence and secondly he desired to attain it.  How do we fit in with that mindset?  Are those characteristics truly shared by us as well? 

Jesus’ first response was to point to keeping the commandments of God.  He could not list them all but He did give a sampling of what one must do.  The man’s response was nothing short of amazing in that he said he had kept them since a child.  Jesus, knowing the heart, realized that there was something else in the man’s life that would divide his allegiance to God, his wealth.  Jesus told the man that he lacked one thing.  He must sell all he owned and give to the poor and come and follow Jesus.  The man now had a choice, what to do, what to do!  He went away sad, choosing to keep his wealth. 

Two things we need to see in this.  First, law keeping, while it demonstrates in a sense a person’s devotion, will not and cannot save a person.  Second, the heart must be set on following the will of God regardless of the cost.  It doesn’t have to be money.  It is whatever takes your attention from the God that wants so badly to save you.  How do you choose?  Will you choose God or will you too, go away sad?

Copyright © 2004, Nolan P. Rutter