there's always a cost

By Britnee Bradshaw
(WITHIN Devotional Writer)

One of my favorite parts about being a believer in Christ is that we have the ability to choose so many facets of our life. God, in His sovereignty, made mankind with the intellect to make our own decisions. We’re afforded the divine freedom to decide which paths we’re going to walk, and which paths we’re going to avoid.

This is a beautiful thing!

Now, God, in His goodness doesn’t make us do anything. He simply reveals to us what is available for us when we walk in alignment with his purpose for our lives. Jesus even said in John chapter 7 that anyone who chooses the will of God will find out whether his teaching comes from God, or from his own self (v.17).

The Lord has good plans for our lives and when we follow the teachings of Jesus, those plans are revealed to us! Now, these plans are going to look different for each of us, however, all of them are rooted in the beautiful story of the gospel of Christ. This ultimately means that we have been redeemed by the work of Christ and we are assured that we stand in His righteousness and not our works or our merits. So whatever decisions we face, we know that we can expect for God’s will to press us more closely toward the works of the Spirit and further from the works of the flesh.

So what does this look like practically? Well, on a big-picture level, this means we have the opportunity to make daily choices that draw us closer to God, to his heart, to his people, and to his ways. This could be something as straightforward as how we choose to honor and serve those around us, whether or not we take a job that’s been offered to us, whether we start the business that’s been on our hearts for a long time, or whether or not we link arms with certain individuals.

My friend, it's important to know that there’s always a cost to our decisions. And unfortunately, we can’t weigh whether a thing is bad, good, or God, based on how we personally feel, or what we personally think. The Holy Spirit, who lives on the inside of us, knows the mind of God. He’s able to lead us in discerning the paths of righteousness that God has laid out for us.

My favorite verse of the Bible, Romans 12:2, encourages us to renew our minds according to the Word so that we can be transformed. In doing this, we become more like Christ, and we strengthen in our ability to test and approve God’s will for us. We aren’t left to wander around in the dark about what choices please God! The Holy Spirit unlocks the scriptures to us, and gives us the wisdom we need to make the God-decisions for our lives! Decisions that produce godly fruit and most importantly pleases God and not our flesh.

I encourage you this week to count the cost of your choices. Who’s going to benefit most from your decisions? Who will suffer? Will your decisions draw you closer to God, or further away from him? There’s a lot of choices out there that really aren’t worth what we think they are. God is good and always routes us back to the center (Romans 8:28), but it’s wisdom that tells us to consider our choices and their consequences before we make them!

Prayer: My Father who is in Heaven, I thank you for your goodness, your grace, and your mercy over me! I want to be found pleasing you, and doing the things that make your heart smile. I ask that you would lead me by your Holy Spirit in the paths that produce Godly fruit in my life. Help me to make decisions that establish your will on this earth. Give me the ear to hear you speak, and the heart to obey you. Give me the wisdom I need to make the choices that are for my good, & that glorify you! I seal this prayer with the blood of Christ Jesus. Have your way in me. Amen.
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The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional, along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. 

Passages to read/memorize/meditate:
Proverbs 10:22
Romans 8:5
Galatians 5:13-16
Romans 12:2
Proverbs 16:9

Questions to reflect on:

1. Am I being led by the Spirit in the decisions that I’m making, or am I being led more often by what I think and feel?

​2. What will I need to sacrifice in order to have what’s being presented in front of me? Is that thing worth the investment of my time, energy, money, and well-being?

​3. Who has God placed in my life that can give me sound wisdom about the important decisions I need to make? Do I go to these people to glean from them, or do I tend to make these decisions on my own?