| “I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws.” |
| —Psalm 119:30 |
Every day we have the opportunity to make very specific choices. Will we do what we know is right? Or, will we do what we feel we want to do?
We seldom think about the fact that choosing to do what we feel we would like to do is actually a selfish decision. We are in effect saying that nothing else matters when we are confronted with satisfying our own willful desires.
What I am about to write will seem very out of place to many readers, because as we hear over and over again: “… after all, boys will be boys.” But, when I was a young teenager in junior high and high school, I was appalled by the way most boys thought and acted toward most girls. Let me explain:
I consistently observed boys telling lies to girls, in order to obtain what they wanted. You can say that my reaction was naïve and foolish. “Teenaged boys,” you might insist, “have one thing on their minds. Society accepts that this is the way boys are. Everyone, including girls, should know this and act accordingly.”
My parents had taught me that girls and women deserved my utmost respect. I should always treat them with kindness and consideration. In fact, I should always put the well-being of all other people ahead of my own wishes. And, furthermore, lying was simply unacceptable. It is never, ever appropriate to lie.
Today, I cannot help but wonder if many parents teach their children these same kinds of values. When I see how teenagers react to one another, I am surprised and saddened by what I see. Our society has gone so far out of its way to accept, even celebrate, sinful behavior that it is no wonder we act so badly toward one another. The Psalmist made this declaration in Psalm 119:30, speaking to God:
I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws.
Notice that the Psalmist insists that he has made a conscious choice. He has chosen the way of obedient truth. He has purposefully set his heart on God’s laws. His full intention is to obey.
Of course we realize that, relying solely on our own strength, we cannot obey God’s laws. It takes the redemptive blood of Christ, shed for the remission of our sins, along with the persistent help of the Holy Spirit, for us to consciously and purposefully yield our selfish human wills to God’s divine and perfect will.
As we jump off into this new day, let’s respond in love to God’s desire for us to allow His will to prevail in our lives. We can learn how to always speak truthfully. We can learn how to show loving respect for others. We can learn how to live in a way that honors Jesus’ sacrifice in our behalf.
Based on a blog originally posted on Thursday, August 10, 2017
