Our Choices Have Consequences
When I was 13, I learned a hard lesson about choices and consequences. A friend invited me to go see Jurassic Park at the theater. This was back in the days before cell phones, so I tried calling my mom at work to get her permission. She didn’t answer. Deep down, I knew I shouldn’t go without asking. But I wanted to go so badly that I made the choice anyway.
The movie was exciting, but when I got home, my mom was disappointed. The consequence wasn’t just that I had disobeyed, it was that I missed out on something better. That weekend, my family had planned to take me clay pigeon shooting, which I loved. But because of my decision, I wasn’t allowed to go. What looked like a small choice in the moment ended up costing me something I valued far more.
In Luke 16:19–31, Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man lived in comfort, while Lazarus, a poor man covered in sores, sat right outside his gate longing for scraps of food. The rich man had every chance to see Lazarus, to offer compassion, to share from his abundance. But he chose not to. He ignored the one in need who was right at his doorstep. Later, when the roles were reversed in eternity, the rich man saw the devastating consequences of his choices—and it was too late to change them.
This parable reminds us that our choices matter. We have the choice to love like Jesus, selflessly, generously, and with compassion, or to love ourselves first, chasing comfort, pleasure, and convenience. The question is: Which one will be rewarded?
The world tells us to choose ourselves. Jesus calls us to choose others. The rich man chose himself, and it cost him everything. Lazarus, though he had nothing in this world, was carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom. One found eternal comfort, the other eternal regret.
Every day, we stand at the gate of decision. Will we open it in love, or keep it shut in selfishness? Will we live for ourselves, or for Christ? The answer to those questions has eternal weight.
In God’s grip,
Pastor Chuck Church
Prayer:
Lord, help me to choose love like You. Keep me from living for myself and ignoring those at my gate. Teach me to see the eternal value in loving others, and may my choices reflect Your heart. Amen.
