DECISION

Acts 15:22—Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers.

The air is thick with smoke. Against the whizzing bullets of death a small patrol of rangers races up a desolate slope of carnage. Their mission is to take out a machine gun nest that has wasted the ranks of two squads previously attempting to seize the hill. Halfway through their inspiring charge, the patrol leader pauses. He rethinks his mission, reevaluates the situation and is overcome with the deafening voices of fear that permeate his head like some bewitching chorus. He tells his men to take cover behind the stones and wait. He cannot move forward.

"No!" you scream. You’re the battle-hardened lieutenant and you understand that the cost of indecision will be catastrophic for these men you love. They must courageously assault using all the skills they have been taught to defeat this enemy. You pick up your radio, and yell, "GO!" Victory knows not those who hide behind rocks.

Today, your mind races with a moral dilemma. You face a hill controlled by the sweeping gun of immorality. The Holy Spirit has spoken. You must take out this nest of sin. To ignore it is hurting those you live beside, and it is gnawing away at your own conscience. But you fear the cost of being righteous, of taking a stand and so you quaver in the muck of indecision. For God’s sake do what is right. If the immorality is your own sin come clean. If it is the tolerated evil of someone else speak up! When God identifies a moral issue that is the time to act. To procrastinate is to give the enemy that many more opportunities to hurl his grenades. Don’t be blown up!

In the passage above, the Jewish Church Council in Jerusalem realized the moral dilemma Gentile believers faced. Overzealous Jews approached these new believers to impose their own religious convictions. The Council carefully discussed the issues, prayerfully approached God and decisively acted to send Paul and Barnabas with a letter to help clear up the confusion. Their ability to make a God-honoring decision did much to encourage the Gentile churches Paul and others had planted. They took the moral high ground, thereby crippling the misguided cause of reckless legalists.

What hill would God have you climb? If He has revealed what is wrong don’t be afraid to do what is right. He’ll give you the strength to be holy because He is holy. Decide!

Inspiration

Never postpone a moral decision.—Oswald Chambers in The Moral Foundations of Life