Choose life. Who wouldn't? Between the choices of life and death, why would anyone brush past life to choose death? One would think that no one would ever choose door number two, which is clearly labeled "Death" over door number one, which is clearly labeled "Life." And yet, Moses felt compelled to encourage them to choose life instead of death.
Aren't you glad we are so much more insightful than the Israelites? Aren't you glad that you and I make the right choice so easily? Aren't you glad that we have learned from their mistakes and no longer make such an obvious mistake as passing on life and choosing death? We do choose life, right?
No one would choose to smoke when the links to cancer and other life-threatening diseases are so clearly linked as to be printed on the individual cigarette packs. Right? No one would choose to drink until they are staggering drunk and then get behind the wheel of a car. Right? No one would choose to risk his marriage and family by flirting around with another woman. Right? We don't just walk headlong onto the path that leads to destruction when the path to life is so brightly lit (cf. Matt 7:13-14) - do we?
Yes we do. People make those choices all the time. But that's those people, not we people - we people of faith, people in the church; we people choose life. Right? I wish that were true. But in the church, there are far too many who step through door number two, embracing addiction, adultery, abandonment and abuse. Too often we pass on choosing life. But why? Why not choose life?
The trouble is that we forget what life is. Conditioned by the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 Jn 2:16), we become confused, thinking that self-gratification is life, that getting what we want in the moment is life, that feeding our passions is life. We lose sight of the fact that "the Lord is your life" (Deut 30:20).
Paul said, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Phil 1:21). Choosing life means to choose Christ, even if physical death results from the choice. Choosing life may be the more difficult path than choosing death. Choosing life may mean giving up what we desire. Choosing life is to choose the right and doing the right thing is not always the pleasant or prosperous thing - but it is the thing that brings life.
Jesus is "the way, the truth and the life" (Jn 14:6), there is no other path to life than following him. As Peter replied when Jesus asked if they were going to turn away as things were getting difficult, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (Jn 6:68). Jesus is the life. Choose Him. Choose life. Jus' Say'n.
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