.I Have A Choice.

I think it is very possible that sometimes struggles don’t have anything to do with us.
Struggles can be for a variety of reasons and purposes.
It is probable that among those causes is that sometimes our struggles are for someone else’s benefit or for someone else’s mistakes.
So someone else can learn something,
So our testimony can impact someone else.
Maybe you’re suffering because someone wronged you.
I won’t even offer anymore hypotheticals because I don’t really know
But I trust that its possible.

So, let’s say you’re walking through a struggle for and/or because of someone else.
That’s totally unfair, right?
What an unjustice that you should have to bear another’s burden, even if it is for his or her overall good.

I’m not going to lie, in my flesh and I would be inclined to agree with the above statements.
I was a waitress in college.
If you’ve ever worked in food service, retail or basically any customer service position
You know that people can be horrible sometimes.
On one particularly difficult night I texted my [then] boyfriend (now husband) that
I wanted to “accidentally” pour a drink in a rude man’s lap.
Did he respond with sympathy or validate my anger as I had hoped?
Oh no.
He responded:
Babe, Jesus was spit on.
Oh snap. Hello, conviction.
My flesh didn’t want to embrace that but in my spirit, I knew it was the truth.

Jesus suffered many trials, torture and eventually death
Because of someone else’s sin.
Because of our sin.
Because of my sin.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, 
but we have one who has been tempted in every way, 
just as we are--yet was without sin.
Hebrews 4:15

No matter the reason for your struggle
{or even if you have no idea the reason, which is often the case}
You have a choice.
Let me say that again because I want to make sure you don’t skip over that line.
You. Have. A. Choice.
{FYI, I’m saying this to myself as much as anyone.
We’re in this together.}

We can chose to love. It may not always be easy.
In fact, I can confidently make the statement that it will NOT always easy.
Sometimes there is NOTHING that we want to do less than love.
But His Word instructs us to do so.

{A note before you read: I have spliced together 3 different versions because I liked all of them. The bold words are from the New International Version, the italicized words are from the Basic English Version, the purple words are from Young's Literal Translation}

Love is patient,
[Love is never tired of waiting]
[love is long-suffering]
love is kind. It does not envy,
it does not boast, it is not proud.
[love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride]
[does not vaunt itself, is not puffed up]
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,
[it takes no thought for itself]
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
[Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things.]
1 Corinthians 13:4 - 6


In the verses that preceed 4 – 6, Paul tell us that it doesn’t matter what we do –
If we do not love, our actions count for nothing.
He specifically says that we can have “faith that can move mountains” (verse 2)
But if we do not love, we are nothing.

I don’t know about you but the last thing I want to do is become nothing.
You can do what you want but I’m going to choose love.
It might be a day to day moment to moment choice
But I’m going to put one foot in front of the other and move forward in love.


My other 31{ish} Days posts

Check out the The Entire 31 Days Collection