WHY CHOOSE?
We all recognize that we are destined to leave this world and move on. To where? No one is entirely sure.
For those who navigate the world with its stress, struggle, pressure, and conflict, I understand your experience.
That being said, we all recognize that we are destined to leave this world and move on. To where? No one is entirely sure. Some believe in a “heaven,” others in a “hell,” some envision oblivion, and a few may not care either way.
Regardless of where you stand on this spectrum of possibilities, for those who believe their choice is between heaven and its opposite, why not opt for the path that involves less pain? The surprising thing is that, even with this choice, you don’t have to change your life or your lifestyle drastically.
Whether or not you choose to change, God’s mercy and grace, akin to that of a forgiving parent, are abundant for those who recognize Him. He will be there at the end, waiting.
So, what’s the difference between repentance (changing future behavior) and remaining the same? Regardless of whether you become a new version of yourself or stay the same, reactivating your spiritual recognition of God through belief in Christ Jesus is the path back to universal consciousness (God). Your spiritual redemption and reconciliation are promised.
If you choose not to change, you will still have to face the outcomes—good, bad, or ugly—of the choices made while still embracing the world’s ways. However, if you do decide to change, your new life will be blessed and protected by God’s Spirit within you.
If you choose to follow His guidance and direction, as the Israelites in the Old Testament did, you will find that when they were obedient to God, they were blessed and protected. However, when they strayed or disobeyed His directives, they felt alone until they returned to embrace His guidance. The same holds for each of us today. Why? Because God’s ways are simple to understand and follow. It is often our own selfish desires that get in the way.
This raises an important question: why change? If everlasting life is promised simply by believing in Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah), why transform? Why become a “new creation” in Christ? (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The answer is that this “new you” will now receive God’s “Spirit of Truth” to guide and advise you in every situation—if you ask. You will begin to see the truth of what is truly in your best interest in every situation, event, and circumstance, and with every person. You will learn to respond in ways that serve you best: either from your old self or as a believing follower of Christ Jesus.
This leads to another question: how will I know how to respond? The answer is simple. God’s character and nature embody Truth and Love. Moral and ethical responses are manifestations of Truth and Love in action. We can identify moral and ethical responses by observing how Jesus would (and did) respond in similar situations.
Jesus serves as our example of moral and ethical action. He instructs us in Matthew 22:37-40: “Love God first and most” (this establishes our moral identity) and “Treat others the way you want to be treated” (this establishes our ethical identity).
If you choose to invite Christ into your life to “reactivate” your “Spirit of Origination” (the spiritual part of you), you will be promised eternal life (John 11:25). You need to change nothing else.
Suppose you choose to invite, embrace, engage, and emulate Christ-like responses through your reactivated spirit. In that case, you will be blessed in this life and the next (John 11:26). You will be granted eternal life and can also alleviate the stress, pressure, and conflict that you have been struggling with since your first breath. It’s that simple—no exceptions.