#258 The Power of Pure Choice in Christ
Matthew 5.41
After the last meeting with the auditor I developed an attitude. I did not like this man. His manner seemed calculated to intimidate. He decided to not only audit our company, but each of us five family-member-owners also. He has since subpoenaed our personal records from our banks, our credit union, etc. I was resenting all the paper work I was required to give him. I was resenting him.
When I read a verse from Matthew this morning, the words hit me in my heart and changed the course of my day, my attitude and my actions. (mindful of professional boundaries, of coarse!)
Exercising pure choice in Christ when we feel trapped or compelled is the choice to experience freedom!
“Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.” Matthew 5:41
“Jesus Christ demands that His disciple does not allow even the slightest trace of resentment in his heart when faced with tyranny and injustice.”
I read these words and immediately felt conviction to let go of my current perception of our audit experience.
Regardless of the intentions and the approach of the auditor (and I cannot read his heart!) the most important issue is “who will I be”? The power of choice in Christ need not be squashed by the clumsy foot of circumstance. Actually there is no clumsy foot of circumstance. All things go through the permission or overruling of God, and the arbitrary experience becomes the instrument of God for our good.
Jesus transformed his experience of persecution into his voluntary offering to God. “I gave my back to those who smite me and my cheeks to those who pluck out the beard.” Isaiah 50:6 He chose to choose the challenge of the present moment, knowing that it was the will of God. (Isaiah 53:10) Instead of being a victim he chose to create victory, as he poured out his life, out of love, for his Father and for us all.
We have a similar privilege. We have the pure choice in Christ to “count it all joy” when we experience various testings. James 1:2 We have the pure choice in Christ to not feel forced or trapped by any situation, but rather to voluntarily ACCEPT the ‘stranger-circumstance’ as an angel of God. The strange and unlikely experience IS an angel of God because it is a messenger of God. The message in the intense experience that seems to strip away our freedom is from God and the message itself is an opportunity for freedom.
Jesus words in Matthew 5:41 call us to exercise pure choice out of love. No one can force us to do anything if we choose to do what we do for God. Colossians 3:17!! Pure choice in Christ creates a transformation as resentment and fear becomes an opportunity to love and serve.
When I got to the office this morning, led by these verses and the leading of the Lord I phoned the auditor. I asked him if he received all the information he had requested to this point in time. He sounded surprised. He did not receive all the information, even though our new accountant told me it had been faxed to him last week. I told the auditor that it must be frustrating to not be able to go forward on his audit when information gets delayed and I offered to check in with the accountant.
I phoned a second time when I remembered that the account number on the subpoena to our bank was off by one number. Again he sounded surprised. And he thanked me.
Gone was my resentment. Gone was my fear of this man. I wondered what it was like to be an auditor with all this power and responsibility. Maybe he liked the job. Maybe he didn't. Maybe he was feeling trapped by having to always look for what is wrong. I prayed for him and had the desire for his highest good and blessing.
When we exercise pure choice out of love the second mile becomes our voluntary gift.
Matthew 5.41
After the last meeting with the auditor I developed an attitude. I did not like this man. His manner seemed calculated to intimidate. He decided to not only audit our company, but each of us five family-member-owners also. He has since subpoenaed our personal records from our banks, our credit union, etc. I was resenting all the paper work I was required to give him. I was resenting him.
When I read a verse from Matthew this morning, the words hit me in my heart and changed the course of my day, my attitude and my actions. (mindful of professional boundaries, of coarse!)
Exercising pure choice in Christ when we feel trapped or compelled is the choice to experience freedom!
“Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.” Matthew 5:41
“Jesus Christ demands that His disciple does not allow even the slightest trace of resentment in his heart when faced with tyranny and injustice.”
I read these words and immediately felt conviction to let go of my current perception of our audit experience.
Regardless of the intentions and the approach of the auditor (and I cannot read his heart!) the most important issue is “who will I be”? The power of choice in Christ need not be squashed by the clumsy foot of circumstance. Actually there is no clumsy foot of circumstance. All things go through the permission or overruling of God, and the arbitrary experience becomes the instrument of God for our good.
Jesus transformed his experience of persecution into his voluntary offering to God. “I gave my back to those who smite me and my cheeks to those who pluck out the beard.” Isaiah 50:6 He chose to choose the challenge of the present moment, knowing that it was the will of God. (Isaiah 53:10) Instead of being a victim he chose to create victory, as he poured out his life, out of love, for his Father and for us all.
We have a similar privilege. We have the pure choice in Christ to “count it all joy” when we experience various testings. James 1:2 We have the pure choice in Christ to not feel forced or trapped by any situation, but rather to voluntarily ACCEPT the ‘stranger-circumstance’ as an angel of God. The strange and unlikely experience IS an angel of God because it is a messenger of God. The message in the intense experience that seems to strip away our freedom is from God and the message itself is an opportunity for freedom.
Jesus words in Matthew 5:41 call us to exercise pure choice out of love. No one can force us to do anything if we choose to do what we do for God. Colossians 3:17!! Pure choice in Christ creates a transformation as resentment and fear becomes an opportunity to love and serve.
When I got to the office this morning, led by these verses and the leading of the Lord I phoned the auditor. I asked him if he received all the information he had requested to this point in time. He sounded surprised. He did not receive all the information, even though our new accountant told me it had been faxed to him last week. I told the auditor that it must be frustrating to not be able to go forward on his audit when information gets delayed and I offered to check in with the accountant.
I phoned a second time when I remembered that the account number on the subpoena to our bank was off by one number. Again he sounded surprised. And he thanked me.
Gone was my resentment. Gone was my fear of this man. I wondered what it was like to be an auditor with all this power and responsibility. Maybe he liked the job. Maybe he didn't. Maybe he was feeling trapped by having to always look for what is wrong. I prayed for him and had the desire for his highest good and blessing.
When we exercise pure choice out of love the second mile becomes our voluntary gift.
