One of my favorite things about God is that He doesn’t force us to do anything. He doesn’t give us a sit-down talk where He unrolls a scroll and directly commands what we will do and when we will do it for the rest of our lives (although, in some [many] cases, this would be nice). He’s a God of freedom—one that doesn’t force us into a relationship but lets us willingly, eagerly, wholeheartedly enter into one ourselves. He wants us to decide. He wants us to choose Him.  

And what I’ve learned so far in my few short years is that we’re not faced with a single fork in the road that asks us “Are you following God or the world?” but rather countless of these scenarios every single day. Not just the day we put our faith in Him. But consistently, repetitively, intentionally. It’s a constant thing—an active choice.  

I’m struck by His graciousness and willingness to let us choose Him or choose our own ways in the book of 1 Kings. 

King after king after king rise up to rule, and nearly all of them lead the people of Israel into a life of darkness. As if the people weren’t in enough turmoil already, each king leads the people further and further away from God. 

God gets angry. It recounts time and time again how angry He is. And yes, He intervenes sometimes. I mean, these are His children that are not only not choosing Him but are leading other people astray, too. 

In the grand scheme of things, though, (and with our #blessed knowledge of the New Testament), God’s grace and kindness shine through here. His willingness to let each king make their own decisions and forge their own path is kind of unfathomable. It would be so easy (I’m guessing) for Him to micromanage and control and give each king a play-by-play of how to live so that only peace, love, and joy manifest.

We see Him willing to let all of His children make their own decisions, even when He knows what will truly satisfy them. But He’s a God of freedom, so they have a choice. 

And so do we. 

This makes me think. Am I just saying that I choose Him, that I believe in Him, and that I would do anything for Him when it’s convenient or comfortable? Or do I actually choose Him every day, at every fork in the road? Christianity isn’t about choosing Him once, then putting that decision on the backburner and wiping our hands clean. A true, wholehearted relationship with God is choosing Him over and over and over again, even when it’s not easy, not accepted, not common, not praised, not fun, not celebrated—you get the point—even by other Christians. 

There are all sorts of little forks that pop up every day. Not all of them have lasagna waiting on the other side (I wish). We are faced with countless scenarios that don’t seem to make a difference in our lives individually, but collectively, they are indicators of what kind of lives we’re truly living. 

Keep scrolling, or get in the Word. 

Make airtight plans for myself, or ask God what He would have for me. 

Push through the hurry & hustle, or pause to ask how I can best serve Him in the busyness. 

Cave in and gossip just this once, or decide not to slander God’s children. 

View my time with Him as a task, or celebrate the fact my perfect Father wants to sit with me. 

Complain about the things I have to do, or shift the conversation to a positive subject.

Dwell on someone’s shortcomings and flaws, or fix my thoughts on the good in them, in Him. 

Some of these examples are choices that will practically change our schedules or plans, while others are attitude adjustments and shifts in perspective. Living on the left side of this list won’t lead us to a closer, more intimate relationship with Him. And if we’re really in this Christianity thing, isn’t that what we want?

The reality is that we all find ourselves on the left side. I do more often than I’d like to admit. So the question becomes: how long are we going to stay there? When are we going to choose a different path, a different way? Are we willing to choose Him even when it’s not easy? 

At first glance, these are minuscule, minute decisions. 

But upon a closer glance, these little forks in the road aren’t really so little. 

It’s easy to say yes now, much hard to truly live it out minute by minute, fork by fork.

I don’t ever want to aim for perfection (recovering perfectionist here), but I do want to aim for Him. And to do that consistently. To do that resiliently, choosing Him over and over and over again, even when I miss the mark or it’s not easy. And I have a feeling you do, too. Here’s to the many forks we will face today and the wisdom to walk in the Spirit at every turn.