Choose!

A man came to a fork in the road. He wanted to go right but there was a large sign that read, “Road Closed. Do Not Enter.” The man decided to go around the sign, confident it would save him time. After a few miles of successful navigation, he felt good about his gift of discernment. His proud smile was quickly replaced by a frown when the road led to a washed-out bridge. He turned his car around and returned to the main road. When he arrived at the original warning sign, he read in large letters on the back of the sign, “Welcome back, stupid!”

Crossroads

This story is a picture of our lives at an intersection, crossroad, or fork in the road. People are often trying to decide between two decisions, two directions, or two destinations. The truth is that life is full of choices. Our life is the sum total of the choices we make. Many choices we make daily and routinely have some effect on our lives; but there are pivotal moments when we face choices with profound impact. 

As humans, we spend most of our lives in the middle of a problem, between a rock and a hard place, in the middle of a mess, or between this choice or that one. It is not always easy to know the “right decision” for the problems we face. The good news is our God is the God of new beginnings and great endings, but also God in the middle…with us. We can learn from the challenge presented by Elijah, the prophet of God.

Showdown

 The setting is Mt. Carmel, where Elijah challenged 450 prophets of Baal to a showdown to determine whose god was the one true god. They set up an altar and whichever god answered by fire and consumed the sacrifice was the god to follow. 

The prophets of Baal called, screamed, pleaded, jumped, and cut themselves, but no fire. Elijah taunted them; maybe your god is busy, away on a journey or maybe sleeping? When it was Elijah’s turn, he had them drench the altar with four barrels of water.

Elijah prayed, Lord God, let it be known this day that thou art God and that I am thy servant. Hear me, O Lord, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that their hearts may turn back to you. Then the fire of the Lord fell, consumed the sacrifice and dried up the water. When the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is the God; The Lord, he is the God.” 

Big Questions

Perhaps, like us, the people were struggling with life’s “big” questions: “Is there a God?” “What is the meaning of life?” “Is there really life after death?” They were having a difficult time deciding, so Elijah challenged them with a critical question, “How long are you going to sit on the fence?” 

If you are the parent of a teenager, know that adolescences is a time of struggling with life’s big questions. You cannot answer these questions for your child. Your struggle is to support them and trust the Holy Spirit to guide them along the way. It is also a good idea to remember that adolescence is a period of “temporary insanity.” Pray them through it and help them to the other side. 

We all serve someone. It is an individual choice, but Elijah’s challenge is just as true today, “If God is the real God, follow him; if it’s Baal, follow him.” The good news, our God is the God of new beginnings and great endings, but also God in the middle… at life’s crossroads.

“Elijah challenged the people: ‘How long are you going to sit on the fence? If God is the real God, follow him; if it’s Baal, follow him. Make up your minds!’” —1 Kings 18:21, MSG

Copyright © 2023 Chuck Locklear

See sermon by William Farina, In the Middle… Choose a Path. Also, see Victorious Living.