Hard Choices

2 Samuel 20:Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted,

“We have no share in David,
    no part in Jesse’s son!

Every man to his tent, Israel!”

² So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bikri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

============

“The teacher is a drunk” I giggled. Normally quiet, I wanted to break in my new comedy routine but did it quite awkwardly. This particular teacher did not like me nor did I have any great feelings for her. She was mean, but with me, she seemed to go out of her way. My quip made those around me giggle so her investigation almost got me sent to the principal. I was given a choice, keep clowning or straighten up.

• Sometimes it’s not my peers that makes me do wrong things.
• Sometimes it’s not the situation that makes me want to do wrong.
• Sometimes it’s not someone else tempting me when I do something wrong.

It’s a hard pill to swallow when I’m at fault. I mean, I try to convince everyone around me that “they” are doing things to me, meanwhile I thicken my blinders to the root cause, namely me. The limelight feels great but I noticed my crowd quickly disappeared when the heat got turned up. Soon I was left standing there labeled as a troublemaker.

• GOD wants me to admit I need HIM rather than thinking other people are the problem.
• GOD wants me to trust HIS ways rather than speaking against HIM.
• GOD wants me to be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove.

The attention I sought needs to be placed on GOD rather than myself. HIS path is far greater than any other path I could choose.

• Are you causing trouble?
• Are you talking about someone else without speaking about how you have failed in the past?
• Can you mature and get on GOD’s path?
• Can you check out your words today to see if they have poison rather than praise?