Yes or No? This is a question each of us has had to answer too many times to count throughout our lives. It seems like such a simple question with only two answers. But as we’ve more than likely seen in our lives this is not always an easy question to answer. Especially when it comes to whether or not the answer to that question puts us in proper alignment with what God wants us to do. Right now you’re probably thinking, of course I would choose the answer that puts me in alignment with God.

Let’s look at a typical situation I face during the work week and that’s the commute into work. Almost guaranteed at some point throughout that week I’m going to have someone driving crazy who will either cut me off or do something else that is against all known safe driving practices. When those times come I have a choice, do I honk the horn, yell at the person and totally loose my peace, yes or no? God’s word would tell us to turn the other cheek and just continue with our day saving our peace. But society and our own feelings will tell us to let that other person have it, even if it’s not what Jesus would do. But at that moment it’s all about what feels good to us. How many of you can relate to that or a similar situation. Can you see how easy it is to fall away from what we should do?

It would be easy to look at a situation like the one I mentioned above and say oh that’s just something small. Everybody out here does it, that’s just what you do in traffic situations like that. I’m just following the crowd! And while this is just a small example of one of those Yes or No situations we might face I challenge you with this. If you consistently look away from what God wants you to do in even the smallest things don’t you think it will eventually make it easier for you to do the same with the bigger questions you will face? What foundation are you building underneath you for support when those tough situations come about?

There were times in my past I can reflect on where I knowingly didn’t follow what God wanted me to do because it wasn’t the cool thing. I didn’t want to go against what the crowd was doing because I wanted to be popular. Especially in today’s world where so much attention is paid to what’s popular and what the “cool” people are doing it is going to be hard for you to follow the right path. If you have no moral compass based on what you know God wants you to do, you will be led all over the place. For me, when I didn’t have Jesus as my guide, more often than not I didn’t make the best decisions in my life. I hurt other people and myself.

So who or what do you rely on as your moral compass when you have to make those tough decisions and no one is watching? Who or what is going to be there pointing you in the right direction? Psalms 119:105 (NLT) provides the answer, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” We have to rely on God’s word to show us the path we should travel and to help us answer that yes or no question each time it comes up. I confess, I don’t always do this but I’m working on it. And in order to rely on God’s word we have to be in God’s word. The pathway is lit for us, all we have to do is walk down it my friends!

Here is today’s action step, when faced with that Yes or No question let’s go back to those four letters WWJD, What Would Jesus Do. Use that as your guide and see where He takes you!

Truth in Love! ~ Chuck