It's Your Choice

Wally and Dallas each bought a horse and rode them during the summer. When winter came they didn’t want to pay to have them stabled, instead decided to release them in a pasture and get them in the spring. Wally said, “How are we going to know which horse is which when we pick them up?” Dallas answered, “I know! We’ll cut the mane of my horse and the tail off your horse. That way we can identify them in the spring.” Of course the hair grew back which led to a dilemma when it came time to retrieve the horses. “Now what do we do”, asked Wally.  Dallas thought and concluded, “Well, their both good horses. Why don’t we just flip a coin for them. Heads, I’ll take the white one.”

If you accidentally drop a chicken nugget onto the floor, do you eat it? “Five-second rule!” is the usual reply, meaning that if you pick it up within five seconds, it’s ok to eat it. Germs and bacteria will not have had time to latch onto that tasty nugget. Science has again spoiled our fun. Researchers at Rutgers University have shown “that bacteria can contaminate food that falls on the floor instantaneously.” Another website (www.kidshea1th.org) made the recommendation about dropped food: “When in doubt, toss it out.” Not all bacteria will make you sick, the article admits, but some have the potential to mightily disrupt your digestive system. Parents would do well to tell their children that the five-second rule is just not true. It’s your choice – Choose wisely.

A young psychology student went into the army. Drawing KP duty, he decided to test a long-held theory of his concerning the pow­er of the positive. He was given the job of passing out apricots at the end of the chow line. Now if you have ever tasted army apri­cots, you will understand why very few sol­diers eat them. They taste like they have been packed in diesel fuel. He asked the first few men that came by, “You don’t want any apricots, do you?” Ninety percent said, “No.” He then tried the positive approach with this question, “You do want some of these delicious apricots, don’t you?” About half answered, “Uh, yeah, I’ll take some.” Finally, he tried a third test based on the fundamental “either/or” selling technique. He asked, “One dish of apricots or two?” In spite of the fact that soldiers don’t like army apricots, forty percent took two dishes, and fifty percent took one! It’s your choice – Choose wisely.

[1 Corinthians 1:26-31; James 4:4-10] Jesus doesn’t use “selling” techniques in His offers to mankind; however, He does present choices. He said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” When asked if there are few who will be saved, He replied saying, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to” (Luke 13:24). The choice is ours. Will we strive to enter by the narrow door or will we go in the way of destruction? Thus, in the words of Joshua, “...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fa­thers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). And in the words of Elijah, “How long will you wavier between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21). God chose to send his Son to save us from our sins (1 John 4:10). It’s your choice – Choose wisely.