ON THE VANGUARD

DECISIONS
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Over this past weekend I was helping my wife unpack some boxes from our moving and stumbled upon one of my first journals following my divorce. As I flipped through the pages, I found one of my early entries talking about the decisions I was making at that time. This trip down memory lane got me to thinking over the past twenty-four hours, and I would like to share a few thoughts with you if you have a minute or two. Before I jump into my enlightenment, however, I think it is best that we define the word ‘decision’. According to Webster, decision is defined as the act of deciding; a conclusive judgment, determination, or firmness; or the power of making up one’s mind easily and moving into action.
Some decisions are easy to make, like what clothes to wear, or what to prepare for dinner. Others are not as easy to make, though, such as choosing a mate or deciding on which college to attend. Still other decisions are thrust upon us, like the final needs of a passing relative. And some decisions we have power over, like deciding how many children we will have and when to begin the family. We make decisions daily, such as whether to exercise or not, what to watch on the television, whether or not to answer the phone when it rings, and giving 100% to our job today instead of the 50% we normally give when the boss is not looking.
But what about our decisions when it comes to living for Christ? Looking in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, we read of a warning we should keep fresh in our minds concerning our decision making process. This passage reads, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” It is here we are told first to fear God and keep His commandments. This word ‘commandments’ is the Hebrew word MITZVAH, meaning laws. In Exodus 24:12 we see the relationship of this word to the stone tablets and Ten Commandments. And it is these commandments that again we are being told by God to keep fresh in our mind. Why? Because this is the whole duty of man. In keeping His mitzvah we have our purpose while in refusing to follow His commands we have our ruin. An example of this is Adam and Eve. The command to Adam and Eve was to not eat of a certain tree, for death would happen if they did. Yet, while we can argue they were deceived, the fact is they ate. The blessing of the Garden was gone and death was found. True, they did not die immediately, but they suffered a death far worse…the knowing of what was, and the knowing they could not have it back. Their decision to not obey the command ended in death.
Yet as we continue in this text, however, we read that every deed, good or bad, will be known. Basically what this means is that every decision we make will be exposed. Each one of our MA’ASEH, our deeds, pursuits, undertakings, and achievements, will be made known. Every one of our ‘ALAM, concealed actions or secrets, will be presented for viewing. There is no decision, good or bad, that can be hidden from the judgment of God. This concept reminds me of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, who thought no one would know when they changed their minds on the price they would give the apostles. When the home sold and the money was in hand, they pocketed a little and thus found physical death for their decisions. What they thought they could hide was brought to light by the Spirit of God. There is nothing we can hide from God and I know this well. Back in 2000, I was convinced that I could hide my pornography addiction from my then wife and friends. This thought pattern went on for months and I remember saying boldly to God, “I’m too good to get caught.” Within the next twenty-four hours my world came crashing down as God exposed me. I had been able to hide it from those close to me, but could not hide it from God.
Daily I make decisions, be it good or bad, that I will one day answer for. But then why is it that so many of my decisions are made so hap-hazard? I am not talking about what shirt I choose, but rather what I choose to do when no one is around. In college I heard that the definition of ‘integrity’ is what you do when no one is looking. Who am I when it is just me? What decisions do I make when it is just me? What determinations do I allow myself to choose when I think no one else will be affected by my actions? Does my integrity prove that I fear God? And I am not referring to a fear as if God is going to strike me down with a stick, but a fear as in reverence. We are told in John 10:27 that His sheep know His voice and listen. So, do we?
I can only answer that question for myself. If I was to be honest with you, my answer is that some days my decisions bless Him and in reverence I obey Him. As such, my actions, determinations, and decisions are all based on what God requires. However, there are other days where the decisions I make reflect an answer that is ‘me’ centered, and what will accomplish ‘my’ will. This challenge of right decision making is for all of us, though. Will we consider our decisions? The man who allows himself even a single stray, a single bite of the fruit, or a single lie, wakes up later only to find that Eden is no longer where he walks. It is because of this death sentence that our decisions can bring us to that we should all make our decisions wisely, and in the fear of the Lord.