Making the Right Choice for Your Life

Making the Right Choice for Your Life

为你的人生做对的选择

Pr Dr Lim S. N. DUMC, 25/08/2009 1045

We make choices every day. Sometimes a wrong choice can cause a lot a problem. It may take a lot of effort to undo the damage. Young people especially need to make the right choices. Samuel made the correct choice when he was young.

We are often very busy. Are we busy with the right things? If we are working on the wrong things, all will be in vain.

Think of the things we are busy with

1. What results do we get?

2. What results do we want at the end of the life?

3. Does it have eternal value?

CB Samuel asked God what it meant to give all to the poor to store up treasure in heaven. He dreamed he died and went to heaven. He saw a bank counter and he wanted to make a withdrawal in his account. The clerk said he had nothing in his accounts. He was indignant because he worked very hard in charity. The clerk told him he worked hard to get OTHERS to give. Those people who gave stored up treasure in heaven but not CB Samuel. Another person came. This man gave a lot to charity during his life but still he had no money, in fact his account was in debit. He gave a lot but he also told others.

1Sa 2:18 那时，撒母耳还是孩子，穿著细麻布的以弗得，侍立在耶和华面前。

1Sa 2:21 耶和华眷顾哈拿，他就怀孕生了三个儿子，两个女儿。那孩子撒母耳在耶和华面前渐渐长大。

1Sa 2:26 孩子撒母耳渐渐长大，耶和华与人越发喜爱他。

1Sa 2:35 我要为自己立一个忠心的祭司；他必照我的心意而行。我要为他建立坚固的家；他必永远行在我的受膏者面前。

1Sa 3:19-21 撒母耳长大了，耶和华与他同在，使他所说的话一句都不落空。 (20) 从但到别是巴所有的以色列人都知道耶和华立撒母耳为先知。 (21) 耶和华又在示罗显现；因为耶和华将自己的话默示撒母耳，撒母耳就把这话传遍以色列地。

1Sa 7:13-14 从此，非利士人就被制伏，不敢再入以色列人的境内。撒母耳作士师的时候，耶和华的手攻击非利士人。 (14) 非利士人所取以色列人的城邑，从以革伦直到迦特，都归以色列人了。属这些城的四境，以色列人也从非利士人手下收回。那时以色列人与亚摩利人和好。

The fruit of Samuel’s life is very different from Eli’s. Samuel’s ministry transformed the people. They won in battles. While during Eli’s time, the Israelites lost in wars.

Samuel grew up in the tabernacles. His mentor Eli was a man who tolerated sin. Eli’s sons sinned against God. Samuel did not have any positive role models. He didn’t see anyone who loved God or obeyed God. His parents were not with him. Samuel served God silently and obeyed God.

Samuel grew in stature and in favour of God and also with man. Some people grew in age but not in mind. Samuel and Eli’s two sons grew up in the same environment but they turned out differently. This is because Samuel make the right choices.

We need the right choice even in the wrong environment. Making the right choices brings good results. In a hopeless environment, we can choose to remain positive, to have hope, to not complain.

Robert is a famous psychiatrist from US. He saw one man lying at the subway. No one paid attention. He stood in front the man and others started to gather around. One man brought food and drink. One called for medical help. This man spoke only Spanish and he did not meet anyone who could understand him. All it took was a single person to stop and pay attention.

Isa 58:10 你心若向饥饿的人发怜悯，使困苦的人得满足，你的光就必在黑暗中发现；你的幽暗必变如正午。

We are children of God and we are the light of the world. We can shine in the light. We can choose to make a change in the environment instead of letting it change us. 我们不要同流合污、我们不要随波逐流。

Choose to Follow the Will of God

See 1 Sam 2:35. God looks at the eternal. The will of God includes the love, mercy and grace of God.

Mic 6:8 世人哪，耶和华已指示你何为善。他向你所要的是什麽呢？只要你行公义，好怜悯，存谦卑的心，与你的神同行。

To walk with God means to do His will even when we don’t feel comfortable. We are to pray, to talk to people, etc. even when we don’t feel like it. Love those who are not lovely. Jesus told us to love our enemies. When we do the will of God, we choose to walk with God.

Choose to Respect Authority

In church, respect the pastors, leaders and cell leaders In the family, respect the parents and husbands. In the workplace, respect the superiors.

When the husband obeys God then only will the wife obeys the husband. The husband is to love the wife. If we do not listen to man, how can we listen to God?

God told Samuel to listen to Eli. When God spoke to Samuel for the first time he thought Eli called him. He obeyed and respected Eli, even in the middle of the night. Eli was the one who taught him to listen to the voice of God. Eli helped Samuel to build the foundation of his ministry.

Without Moses, Joshua could not bring the Israelites into the Promised Land. Sometimes our mentors are not perfect. But God uses them to teach us. We need to humble ourselves.

Eli was not perfect. He tolerated the sins of his sons. However, he made Samuel. He didn’t hinder Samuel.

Choose the Hard Way

There is a level of difficulty in every elevation.

The first thing that God told Samuel is about judgement on the household of Eli. This is first training for Samuel. He did not tolerate and told a lie. He told it honestly even though it’s tough to tell that to Samuel’s face.

Don’t expect to have it easy. This path brings eternal value. The road God chose for us is a narrow one. We go on by God’s grace.

(I went to the washroom towards the end. Jesse told me the speaker used the eagle life renewal illustration. In the spirit of Act 17:11 and Jude 4, I will approach the speaker (via email) without fear and favour. Truth (and facts) cannot be compromised.