I remember reading a story about a young man who was working at a fast food type job who was very happy. One of his customers could not understand how this individual was always happy so he decided to interview the young man to find out how he could go through life being as happy as he was. The young man told the interviewer that he had broken life down to two choices, basically yes/no or do/ don’t do. This did not mean he always made the right choice and even told the person who was interviewing him as such, but he accepted whatever choice he had made. As a result, this individual was always happy.
Then the interviewer told this person that is not how life works and that it is more than just making choices. The interviewee did not agree, but that was ok. Well the interview went on for sometime and based on the young mans responses, you could see that the interviewer had made an impact on him.
The interviewer frequented the place where the young man, but he did not see him much after the interview. About a year passed and the interviewer spotted the young man and went to talk to him, but somehow this person did not seem to be the same happy person. The interviewer sat down with the young man and asked him what was wrong. The young man seemed angry. He told the interviewer that he had taken his advice after their previous interview and it completely changed everything. The young man had gone through a lot of turmoil and his once simplistic way of life was changed by one person. He no longer saw the world as choices. They talked for some time and finally went their separate ways.
Is the world nothing but choices? Are there really only two? Take driving a car and you come to a stop sign, you can stop or not stop (even a rolling stop is still not stopping). If you think about it, every situation was is divided up into two choices. Most of you will disagree and that is fine, buy it really is as simple as that.
God gave you free will and you have a choice accept God or reject him. Some of you might say there is a third choice and that is the I do not know crowd. That is ok for a time, but you will have to make a choice. So in the end, it really comes down to two choices. Take Jesus, you can accept that He is the son of God, who died on the cross for your sins, and was raised on the third day and sits at the right hand of God or you can reject this idea.
Unfortunately, there are many Christians who do not act like Christ and I must admit that at times I am like that. This can completely change how how a person perceives Christ just like the interviewer changed how the young man saw the world.
To finish up the previous story, the interviewer saw the young man about 6 months after their second discussion and he was back to his happy self. You may be wondering what changed. Well you see the interviewer had changed the young mans life, but the young man also changed the interviewers life. The interviewer on their second encounter was a much happier person when he decided to follow the young mans way of viewing the world. He told the young man how he had changed his life. This had a huge impact on the young man and he slowly went back to the way he was before.
If you will follow Christ, your world will change. Your life many not become easier, but it will be more free and more abundant. You will be at peace.
John 10:10 New International Version (NIV)
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 14:27 New International Version (NIV)
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.