Given the choice which would choose, Life or Strife? I realize this seems to be such a silly question and know that any rational/sane person would choose a joyful life over days filled with struggle, pain and strife. What puzzles me as how often rational and otherwise sane folks choose the exact opposite. Forfeiting a life of joy, and peace for that of turmoil and drama. Now I realize none of us do this intentionally but I must admit that week after week I find myself attempting to calm and redirect countless souls (who claim Christianity) away from strife and back to life. Do not get me wrong I find joy in pointing people back to God and His word where they can refocus on life and flee from strife, but I wonder how much more effective I/we could be if less time was spent “replacing pacifiers into grown adults mouths” as they suffer the results of self-inflicted or unnecessary strife. Though I will delve more into this on Sunday as we travel further through John chapter 10 let me just toss you a few things to think on in this regard. When we forget that Christ and His word are the standard, that He alone is our Shepherd we end up following faulty and childish paths made clear by the enemy himself, that lead us headlong into strife. How sad that when we decide to; gossip (or even listen to gossip), slander, backbite,say or do ANYTHING that hurts another, assume roles that are not our own, whine, complain, worry ourselves sick, withhold our resources from God, fail to serve the Lord in every way possible, neglect time in the Scripture and on our knees, forsake the assembling of ourselves together in Bible believing/teaching churches we have in essence chosen to follow another [false] “shepherd” . The reality is this can only lead to misery and strife as there can only be one Shepherd and according to John 10 His Name is Jesus and any other will only lead us to destruction. In Deuteronomy 30 God spoke powerful words to the Children of Israel when He said, “I have set before you life and death, blessings an cursing, therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live.” May we do just that— choose life which can only be found by knowing and following THE Shepherd-Jesus…join us at Antioch Sunday for more…
In HIM,
Pastor Dave