Opting for the Good Fruit

Ever get tempted to watch that horror movie everyone is talking about (thanks to all the heavy marketing and memes everywhere)?  You know it's not gonna do you even one bit of good to watch it.  You know you'll regret it but there's that pull looming in your head. 

My daughter recently told me about a horror movie she and her friends watched at the movie theatre.  She told me she knew it wasn't a wise decision, to begin with, but it was actually worse than she imagined it would be. 

Not much has changed since the beginning of time.  The enemy still uses this same tactic today; highlighting the option that seems more interesting, more entertaining or enchanting, more popular; downplaying the options that are seen as healthier, cookie-cutter and cleaner.  Of all the good entertainment available, temptation offers you the bad egg, or shall I say the bad fruit. 

Life is about options.  That's my new phrase.  It really is all about choosing from your options and how your choices play out.  The Garden of Eden was the ultimate example of this.  God gave Adam and Eve options within the Garden, including a ton of very good healthy choices of fruit.  I can only imagine what kinds of heavenly and mouthwatering fruit were available to choose from.  Of all the trees in this paradise, there was only one God forbade them to take from and eat.  Guess what?  That's the one that stumped them and the trajectory of humanity forever.  Not only did they make an unwise decision after allowing the persuading serpent to speak but it proved to be worse than they ever imagined.  The consequences of their decision were beyond bad; it was deadly. 

Kingdom living is about opting for that which promotes spiritual, physical and emotional health.  It's FOR options, not against it.  In case you haven't noticed God didn't create human robots.  Contrary to popular belief, freedom to choose has always been and will always be God's great idea.  Satan somehow twisted the truth to make people feel as though God is a tyrant out to manipulate and keep us on a very tight leash...or else.  Satan is not the author or giver of good living and freedom to choose.  He only deceives people to believe he is.   God is the author of the right to choose.  Even today with all the abuse of this wonderful gift He's given us, He still believes in it.  He doesn't wish to take that away from anyone.  It's one of His uncountable attributes: to be a freer, not a controller.  

Notice how He left Adam and Eve to be free in their personal paradise.  BUT with that freedom came responsibility.  We are expected to be responsible not only IN our decision-making but also FOR the decisions we make; understanding the good and bad consequences they may hold for our lives and others. 

So go ahead, peruse the shelf of the many extraordinary choices God has laid out for your life.  Recognize those on display that God didn't place on that shelf.  Be brave and make decisions that will produce sweet-smelling, delicious-tasting, Kingdom-rising fruit. 

With love,
Featherpen & Ink