Choices

The world is filled with too many choices. Paper or plastic? Vanilla or chocolate? Mac or PC? Eat in or dine out? Just when I think I'm starting to get a grasp on things, someone offers a new one. It's the new and improved version of...you fill in the blank. I think there is a conspiracy to overwhelm us with choices. Why else would we be given some of the choices we have? Seriously, how many different ways do we need to sweeten our tea...blue, pink, yellow or white? (of course, we all know the only way to sweeten tea is by pouring one cup of pure granulated sugar into the bottom of a gallon jug. No other "sweet" tea will suffice).

To verify that choices can be a problem, just ride along with Lisa and I when we are deciding where to go to eat. The conversation typically goes something like this:

Me: "So, what are you wanting for dinner tonight?"

Lisa: "I don't know. What do you want?"

Me: "I don't know. I don't have a taste for anything in particular (translated: "have you ever known me not to eat something?")

Lisa: "Neither do I. Why don't you pick?"

Me: (slightly frustrated) "Because I really don't have a preference. I'll eat whatever you want to eat."

Lisa: (slightly more frustrated) "I don't care. How come you never tell me where you want to eat?"

We usually take longer to ride around and decide than we do to sit down and eat.

The reason for our dilemma? There are too many choices. Dine in or dine out? Fast food or live longer? American or International? Recognizable food or fancy dish with stupid name? When we finally make a decision, pull into the restaurant and get through the front door, you know what we are greeted with..."Would you like a table or a booth?"

Now, take the conversation above and add 4 kids to it. Or apply it to trying to decide what show to watch on TV or what movie to see or where we're going for vacation or what meat you want with your salad tonight. It's enough to make a man become a vegetarian (okay, I exaggerate. Nothing could make me do that!)

Thankfully, when it comes to the most important choice there is, God gave us one option. God...or no God. That's it. Nothing more. Nothing less. There is no room for a "God-lite." There is no option "C--all of the above." We don't get to add choices like the ones the tolerance crowd want to throw in--"same God, just a different version."

The choice is really plain and simple. The choice is yours. You either believe and surrender or you choose your way. Make no mistake about it. It's all or nothing. You can't be mostly on God's side. The choice is truly yours...and no choice is not an option.

Now, if I could just decide...plain or peanut?

"If you decide that it's a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you'd rather serve—and do it today....As for me and my family, we'll worship God." Joshua 24:15 Msg