(By Tammy Vaughn)

Recently my band, Dana Isles and Facedown, went to Knoxville, TN to record a six song EP. When you record a song you tend to hear it over and over again. As I listened to it over and over again, the words to one of the songs got me thinking about a lot of areas of life and the people in those areas.

The song is called “You Won’t Choose Me.” It is written from God’s perspective of how He (Jesus) pursues us and loves us yet we don’t choose Him. When I first heard it I thought it was very sad. In fact, I still think it’s sad because the song does a great job of highlighting how some people simply do not choose Jesus. Some of the words to the song are the following:

“Many are Called, Called to follow Him but a very few choose to believe

I have chosen you but you won’t choose me

I try, try, try to make you love me, but you won’t choose me,

I can’t stop thinking of you, but you won’t choose me,

I knock, knock, knock and you won’t answer, you won’t choose me,

I just want to tell you that I paid your ransom but you won’t choose me

What more can I do to get through to you

You just don’t realize for you I suffered and died

To prove, I love you.”

This song hits me between the eyes every time. In fact, I get teased some because I cry almost every time I hear it. The simple Gospel is that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since that is the case, why is it that many people choose to reject the things of God, His Word, His guidance, His pursuit of them to follow their own sinful desires? I mean honestly it had me examining myself to see in what areas I reject the things of God.

At times, I think it is very easy to reject God and not even know you are doing it, but what I have been saddened by recently is that there are some who willingly choose to reject God’s commands. Often this is because God’s commands keep them from pursuing what they think they want. Following God is simply not what they want to do. Some of the rationalizations are as follows:

It’s okay to violate God’s commands because I am tired of my life the way it is.
God can’t really expect this of me because it goes against the grain of what society thinks is acceptable.
I want to party, live it up gratify my evil selfish desires, after all, God wants me to be happy. Right?

Whatever happened to following God’s commands and honoring Him no matter what our desires are? I realize it is hard to follow God at times; however, it is the way we show him that we love him. The Bible says in John 14:15, “If you love me you will keep My commandments.” We show our love to God by keeping His commandments. So if we don’t keep His commandments, then we love something or someone else more.

My heart breaks because as I reflect I have realized that many - NOT ALL - but many of the situations I encounter on a day-to-day basis stem from choices being made to gratify self, turning away from God’s commandments and the promises He makes to us as believers in His Word. The other heart breaker is that there are some that God is chasing and pursuing, yet the response given is to ignore Him. Flat out reject and ignore Him. Many wonder why, while they have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, they are living a miserable life. Often God’s best is given up for insanity- repeated cycles of un-health that do not stop and contain one defeat after another, powerless living instead of powerful ability to live out the calling Jesus has on each of our lives.

The sad part of all of this is that there are consequences for these choices both in the here and now and in eternity. Often times we are in a mess because of our own choices. While in the mess we choose to reject God’s commands, making the situation worse or more complex. It’s frustrating to watch and realize that we each have free will and make our own choices. God can and wants to help us make the right choices. “He wants to give you power from on high but we don’t choose Him.”

It’s time to reflect on where we are in this. So where are you? Are there areas in your life or mine that we reject God? Are there those around us that are choosing the world’s view or their own sinful desires over God’s desires and commands? Does it break our heart? Do we pray for them? Do we prayerfully confront sin? The Gospel of Jesus Christ is alive and well, giving power to all that believe. So let’s live like our lives and others depend on it!