The Power Of Choice Part 3

We are a result of the choices that we’ve made in the past. And, the DECISIONS that we’re making TODAY will determine who we become and what we’re able to do TOMORROW. This as a reality of life especially for children of God. You and I are going to experience a lot of pain in this life. All of us will. The reality is: A lot of the pain that we experience will be outside of our ability to control. Jesus even said in John 16:33a Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble…(NIV)” A lot of times it’s not your fault. You get in an accident, somebody close to your heart betrays you and hurts you, your company right sizes and now you’re looking for a job. Lots of pain will happen in your life and it is beyond your control. 

Some pains are OUT of your CONTROL.  But some pains are WITHIN your CONTROL.  If it’s within your control, you will have a choice between one type of pain or another. “You can choose your pain.” You can choose pain of DISCIPLINE over the pain of DISAPPOINTMENT.

What is DISCIPLINE? Discipline is choosing between what you want NOW and what you want MOST.

Romans 7:15 – “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do (NIV).” Paul sounds like there is no hope and what’s going to happen? Then his tone changes in Romans 7:25, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord (NIV)!” The answer is through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The answer is not through me being better. It’s not through me being stronger. The answer is through Jesus Christ my Lord.” On our own, we are prone to make wrong choices. With the help of the power of Christ, we can choose not what we want now, but what we really want most. With the help of Christ we will choose discipline over disappointment.

 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize (NIV).”

He uses the metaphor of a race and I love the way he says it. Everyone runs but only one person wins. It means that all of us have to run our own race. And everyone has to run to win. When you’re running you’re running with every bit of focus, intensity, power that you have. You are running to win.

1 Corinthians 9:25a – “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training (NIV)”

If you’re going to win what do you have to do? You have to choose what you want most over what you want now. You have to choose what you want most over what you want now. We’re disciplined in our training.

The root word for DISCIPLINE. It is the same root word that creates the word disciples. What are we? We are disciples of Jesus. We are following Christ. We are disciplined as disciples.

1 Corinthians 9:25b, “…They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever (NIV).

When your basketball team in school wins, what do you get? A cheap little plastic trophy. If you’re the best of the best, you get a gold medal. The trophies and medals will not last. We as Jesus followers, though, what do we do it for? For an eternal prize. That’s why we run to win. We’re not doing it for some little trophy that fades away. We’re running our life’s race to win in order to honor and glorify the one who gave His life for us. That’s why we do it. Everything we do we do it as if we’re doing it for the Lord, not for human masters, but to glorify God.

Hebrews 12:1b, “…So let us run the race that is before us and never give up.  We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back.

The author is saying this in the context of the race. This is important because his audience would have known exactly what he was talking about. I don’t know with you but in race I don’t want to come in second. I want to be the first.  We’re running to win, right? We’re not running to win some earthly prize. We are running to win a prize that will never spoil or fade. We are running to glorify our Father in Heaven.

What do you want most? What do you need to choose now to achieve what you want most? You can choose the pain of discipline or you will experience the pain of disappointment.

1 Corinthians 9:26-27 – “26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize (NIV).”

“Run with purpose in every step.”  Without Jesus, I’m like Paul. I want to do what’s right and I do what’s wrong. I don’t want to do what’s wrong and I do what’s wrong. Why? I need him every moment of everyday. I need His power. I need His strength. I need Him with me when I am weak.

As disciples of Jesus, we are going to be disciplined. We should choose what we want MOST over what we want NOW.