‘He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God.’ Hebrews 11:25 NIV

Second: you must take responsibility for your life. ‘Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.’ (Hebrews 11:24–25 NIV) First, Moses refused to be anyone but himself. Next, he chose to go God’s way. The principle here is that you can always replace a negative with a positive. You don’t just stop doing something—you start doing something else. The Christian life isn’t a matter of negative rules and regulations. It’s a matter of relationships—with God, with other people, and with yourself.

Notice, Moses made his decision ‘when he had grown up.’ It’s a mark of maturity when you can settle the issue of personal responsibility. When Moses was a baby, it was ok to postpone the decision about who he was. But when he became an adult he had to make a choice, assume responsibility for his own life, and move ahead.

It’s always easy to blame others: ‘I’d go God’s way if my boyfriend or girlfriend, mother or father, husband or wife, would do it too.’ Or, ‘I’d be a better person today if I had better parents.’ You can’t choose all the circumstances that come into your life, but you can choose whether those things will make you a bitter person or a better person. Ultimately no one can ruin your life except you! The devil can’t, because he doesn’t have enough power—and God won’t, because He loves you. So choose to go God’s way!

SoulFood: Ezra 1–2, John 6:25–34, Ps 98, Pr 24:15–18

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©