The importance of choice has been a recurrent theme in my thinking so far this year. The amazing reality is, that God gives us the opportunity to choose whether we serve Him, obey Him, or indeed pay Him any attention at all.  As I thought once again about choosing, I was reminded that often our choices include a decision not to choose. Sounds like a conundrum I know, but let me explain.  30 years ago when I gave up smoking it was an agonizing process, but the key was to make the choice that I was no longer going to make a choice. When offered a cigarette or confronted with the “ harmless” desire for “just one”, the choice that I wasn’t going to smoke had already been made.  I chose not to “choose” any more but to practice reminding myself of the choice I had made.

The importance of this idea is that we can make choices when we are able to think carefully away from the situational pressures that can cause us to slip up before we know it. For instance are there particular circumstances when your own vulnerabilities sing their alluring melody; those things that always cause you to loose your temper, eat what you shouldn’t, or purchase something you don’t need or can’t afford? Remember, as the old chorus used to say, “ Yield not to temptation for yielding is sin!” Note- being tempted is not sin, only “yielding” and yielding is choosing. One of the most significant areas in which choosing not to choose makes an enormous difference is in the choices we make about sexual activity. If we make the choice to practice purity before we embark on a relationship, when the pressure is on we can fall back on a choice already made and so choose not to choose.

So as we respond each day to Joshua’s challenge to choose whom we are going to serve, are there some decisions we should make right at the outset? This will mean that as time goes on, there will not be so many “choices” but instead reminders of decisions made long ago.