Our ability to choose is what makes us gods, be it good or evil.*

In the beginning, God created man in His own image,

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” ²⁷ So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27

But, what does that mean? The difference in humans and all other life forms on earth is our ability to choose between right and wrong. Essentially, we prefer to decide what is good and what is evil. The problem is that God has already established what is good and what is evil. We were meant to work together with Him to mature and learn to distinguish between the two. Take Eve for an example. She might have gone to God and asked Him for clarification rather than take the word of a serpent over His. Take Adam as an example. He might have protected Eve, banished the serpent, and reported him to God. Instead, they chose to make their own judgment, and when they realized what they had done, they hid, blamed each other, the serpent, and even God rather than confessing and repenting of their wrong choices. Sound familiar? Haven’t we all done some form of this scenario at some time in our lives? We all have a natural desire to choose for ourselves rather than consulting God.

What is the answer? How do we discern what is best versus what we want? At some point in our lives, the Spirit makes us aware of the choice we must make between His will and our will. What we choose determines how our lives will go from then on. We can:

1. Choose to go our own way, making our own choices of what is right and what is wrong, even knowing that our way will eventually have destructive consequences, or…
2. Choose to believe God, trust Jesus, receive the Spirit, and make His way our way, which leads to life with Him now and eternal life with Him later (it’s actually all eternal life since we’re with Him).

Jesus said it several ways:

1. I am the Narrow Gate (Matthew 7:13-14),
2. I am the Door (John 10:1-3),
3. I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25-27),
4. And then the classic, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Once we get it, it’s easy to see–still hard to do, though, because we are so used to doing things according to our limited perspective and according to how we feel. It’s a lifelong process with Him teaching, reproving, correcting, and training us in righteousness so that we may be thoroughly equipped for every good work He invites us to do with Him (2 Timothy 3:16-17 adapted).

Abba, please train us in righteousness. We want to be like You, to please You, and to be with You always. When we turn away from You, we cannot sense You; help us to keep our eyes fixed on You, Jesus. You are our Savior and our God. We love You; thank You for loving us first! Amen.

*Psalm 82:6-7 ⁶ I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you;
⁷ nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.”
John 10:34-36 ³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? ³⁵ If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— ³⁶ do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?