I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who lived me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20
Near the peak of a high mountain is a spring, from which flows a steady stream of clear water. As it makes its way down a rocky bed, the flow from the spring strikes a wedge-shaped boulder, which divides the stream in two. Half of the stream flows eastward, and in time makes its way through the streams and lakes to a river that flows at last into the Atlantic Ocean. The other half flows westward, and eventually arrives at the Pacific Ocean. The great difference in the destination of the two sides of the stream begins with a single boulder. Just so, the great difference in the destinations at which we arrive at during our lifetimes is often the result of what we think is a small decision. Those decisions turn out to be life-changing moments, pivots on which our entire existence swing.
When Paul speaks of the ‘life which I now live in the flesh’, he was referring to a life that was different from what it might have been had he remained in the Jew’s religion. For him, it was a day trip to Damascus, rather than spending the time in Jerusalem. But what a difference! For us, it might be a course selected in school, a particular person befriended, a meeting attended, a book read: the possibilities are endless. But back there in our past were small decisions that had incredibly huge consequences. Those decisions determined our destiny, in many ways. What about the decisions that we make today, what effect will they have on what our life is like in ten years’ time?
When you get up tomorrow morning, you will put on certain articles of clothing. Those items may not seem to make much difference to you, after all, they are just clothes. But they will make a difference in how people perceive you. They will impact what people think of you, whether they should allow your appearance to affect their attitude or not. And if your choices of clothing were inappropriate for a Christian, your testimony is negatively affected by the decision you made about what to pull out of your closet. Today, you will make many decisions, most of them small and seemingly insignificant. No, it will make no difference to anyone if you scratch your nose with your right hand or your left. But it could make a huge difference to another Christian if you give them a word of encouragement or a word of criticism.
Think about your decisions today, pray for the Lord to guide you into right decisions, You have no idea how much difference it will make in your life, or someone else’s. -Jim MacIntosh