“If you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.” Genesis 13:9
Robert Fritz in his book “The Path of Least Resistance” attempts to classify choices that face us:
Fundamental Choice: asks and answers the Questions – “Who am I?” “Why I am I here?” “What is important to me?”
This choice involves identity, purpose and values and is of fundamental consequences.
Primary Choice: involves choice of aspirations and visions.
Secondary Choice: involves means and strategy.
In our faith journey it is the fundamental choices that we often fail in. We tend to make the easiest choices, take the paths of least resistance and costs to ourselves. Often we comfort and convince ourselves that God led us to the choices we finally took.
In the words of Oswald Chambers:
“The great enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but the good which is not good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best.”
The best is God’s individually tailored purpose and will for each one of us. This reminds us of the story of Abram and Lot in Genesis 13. Abram and Lot were richly blessed by God. So much so that the land could not support them while they stayed together (Gen 13:6), due to their large herds and flocks. So they decided to go separate ways. “So Lot chose for himself…”
Abram very generously waived his natural RIGHT to choose first. In effect in doing that he let the Lord God chose for him. Allowing God to choose for us often lead to even greater vision and blessings. Read what follows: “The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him. ‘Lift up your eyes from where you are and look North and South, East and West…..All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring….’ (Gen 13:14-17)
Allow me to share my own personal struggle with God some 20 years ago. For some years, Mrs Leong and I were challenged to go to the mission field. When the time came to resign from my cosy job in a teaching institution, the Principal asked me: “How can we persuade you to change your mind?” He indirectly dangled some carrots before me.
Praise God, we chose to submit to God’s command to go. We knew that was God’s best for us. Allowing God to choose resulted in Abram securing the best rather than the good. Looking back to the huge wonderful experiences in the mission field and the blessings we received (and continue to receive) from numerous people, indeed confirmed that obeying God’s choice for us is always best .
Some may ask: “How do we know God’s tailored purpose and will for me?”
For that we must follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Himself to the Garden of Gethsemane and learn from our Master and Lord Himself (Matt 26:36-42).
He went a little further (v39) …away from the crowds and voices of man. He prayed and emptied and surrendered his own will to His Father’s. (v39,42,44)
We must do likewise.
By Dr Leong Chee Lu (YCKC Bulletin 30&31 May 2015)