Making Good Choices - Ten WordsSample

Making the right choices – Ten Words

Word # 1: Focus

“You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

A god is, according to the dictionary, 'a superhuman being or spirit worshipped as having power over nature or human fortunes.' 

This first of Ten Words reminds us that everything we choose should flow from the love we have for God as well as thankfulness for setting us free, just as Israel was ‘delivered from the house of slavery’ in Egypt. This means that we are not to let any choice we make displace God as our most important concern and never to allow anything to threaten God’s central place in our life.

The main god in our world today is very well known. It is Me, it is You. We worship the ‘Unholy Trinity’ of Me, I, and Myself. This new religion’s creed is summed up in the belief that each person should attain maximum 'godhood' without hindrance. We claim to be the supreme authority of life and have the final call on what we should do and the choices we make. 

Our capacity for being our own god is compounded by the temptations from ‘the gods of this world.’ Paul writes, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) 

These powers are constantly tempting us to make our own choices independently from God. 

Managing money is not just a technical exercise of adding up, calculating risk, percentage growth etc. It is, at the heart of the matter, a spiritual discipline. Jesus unmasked the spiritual power behind money which he called “Mammon.” He challenges us to examine our choices. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money (mammon).” (Luke 16:13)

Mammon is the god behind our economy and the consumer mindset we have today. Mammon gladly receives our offerings made with plastic cards in its shopping temples and websites, promising fulfilment, status, and well-being. Its promises are empty. You can buy medicine, but not health; books, but not wisdom; a house, but not a home; sex, but not love. 

This first Word is a challenge to remain loyal to God, loving Him and serving only Him. Mammon wants us to love it and serve it.

The Bible is clear. “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5)