You Have A Choice

There is a choice you have to make in everything you do,
and you must always keep in mind the choice you make makes you.

I love the designations made by implication
To make evident the options and our inclination
It exposes our tendencies without hesitation
Though with clear proclamation,
Fact is, we have a choice.

We know ourselves weak, yet desire for better
Things we ALL fall to; Yes, the simple and clever
There’s a pull to be ruled as foretold by the letter
Well confirmed as a debtor,
Fact is, we have a choice.

Particularly the ideas that we think are benign
Or our jokings and jestings which we think are fine
Remember, Heaven records each and every single line
We should keep it in mind,
Fact is, we have a choice.

The most dangerous is when our selfish insight
Tempts us into foolishly thinking we’re right
To depart from Scripture is to depart from light
Keep His precepts in sight,
Fact is, we have a choice.

These ideas may seem harsh, I mean ‘How can it be?’
Since the work of the Cross has indeed made us free
The sting of condemnation seeks out the sin in me
We’re free to be Holy,
Fact is, we have a choice.

A choice to seek Help as we grow and mature
Sin’s hold weakens: we cleave and secure
Ourselves to Our Lord, Who helps us endure
The enemies end is sure,
Fact is, we have a choice.

Here’s The Word:

James 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

God knows us better than we even know ourselves
His Word exposes our motives, more than tongue can tell
Our tongue unbridled, is set of fire from the depths of hell
No rumor to dispel,
Fact is, we have a choice.

So let us make haste on our quest to live higher
connect to His strength and decide to inspire
The world and its ways will always conspire
That Devil's a liar
Thank God, you have a choice.

In Him,
Cros

Living On Luck

First, a disclaimer: It is inevitable that my frequent attempts at creativity cross paths with those who have previously published insights and information, even if only title-wise. I would estimate that 20% of my blog hits are people searching on “clothed and in his right mind” and in their information gathering endeavors, they click on the link for my post of a similar title from years ago (hopefully at least a few of them have found something worthwhile).
I suspect that the hit ratio will increase even more since the title this post ‘Living on Luck’ is already well related to a book by Charles Bukowski. I’ve never read Charles’ book so I can assure you, that although the titles are the same, any similarities between this post and the aforementioned book are purely coincidental.

When I sit back and ponder life, I conclude that there is really only two choices: Either live for Christ, or don’t. I know, quite profound eh? However, it seems to me that the droves of people who chose “Don’t” believe for the most part, that they’ve chosen something at least comparable, if not better than Christ, even if only temporarily.
And that’s the key: To assume or argue that Christianity can offer you a better NOW than say a good investment into the stock market or even taking up a cause to bring about world peace, is about as futile as convincing you that I can get a turtle to fly by gluing wings on its back.

Much of our media driven, self-promoting, overindulgent world looks at Christians, even devout ones that exude genuine peace and joy, and still come away with the thought – “But what’s the use?” On the surface, the general conception seems to be that most Christians are no happier, or better off than any other group of people.
Trust me, this is not an indictment against Christians, it’s just a fact of the matter: It’s not that people DON’T want Christ (...well, partly); it’s just that most are much more consumed with the idea of what they DO want (even in addition to Christ). People want “the good life”, and the absence of struggles. If being ‘In Christ’ meant only good stuff now (as some do preach), the world would be full of Christians. But to the unenlightened, Christianity seems to be more about dying than living. So in weighing their options and seeking for good stuff NOW, people take their chances, cross their fingers and throw themselves into “Living on Luck”.
There can be little doubt that from the looks of things, there’s a heck of a lot of lucky people. There are people who are rich and famous for absolutely no discernible reason other than ‘the luck of the draw’, and for many, this just doesn’t make sense in light of the fact that we have a God who ‘Owns the cattle on a thousand hills’ (Psalm 50:10).
It goes further; there are those unashamedly immersed in notoriety, riches, and care-free living that absolutely deny Christ – that can be quite an issue for some, especially in the midst of struggle or grieving loss.
More times than not, lucky lives looks way better than committed ones.

Of course, I didn’t start out to produce a depressing reflection on how unfair life can seem… not at all. This is about a matter of focus. And here’s the quintessential question that we as Christians should e‘er keep at the forefront of our minds: What about AFTER now? You could choose to play your lucky numbers, end up with the stars aligning for you, or the odds ever being in your favor, but that can never prepare you for after now. Living on luck may indeed provide pleasurable options, but it’s all short-lived.

Here’s The Word:

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Ahhhh…. Eternity! The great equalizer! Can you imagine how infantile our envying or our efforts for good stuff now will look 1 minute into eternity? … How about a million years from now? I bet it will be quite laughable. On second thought, it may not be laughable at all; it may be regrettable as we wasted time considering the benefits of lucky, when we could’ve been that much more committed to Christ, as He will be there in our living presence and the clarity of His sacrifice for us will be inescapable.

So if you’ve stumbled across this post in your efforts to find information on Charles Bukowski, or if you’re a frequent visitor here, I pray that you let His Word be your Guide and choose to get to know HIM better…even the fellowship of His sufferings rather than have your eyes enticed by temporary good and your attentions pulled to Living on Luck.


In Him,
Cros