If somebody would have asked me while I was at primary school which job I would like to have later, I would have promptly answered: "I want to be a teacher".

other stories - Previous story: Free, hence responsible - français - deutsch - Next story: The right to be children of God

6th October

Elijah went before the people and said: "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him". 1 Kings 18, 21

Choose for yourselves this day, whom you will serve. Joshua 24, 15

Not allowed to make a mistake

school

My choice was unequivocally, simply because my teacher was the man I admired most in the world: he was never ill! Naturally, my argument had no value, and I myself had the proof...

In our life we have to make a lot of choices: choice of a job, a husband or wife, a living place, etc. We can make a mistake and undergo the consequences. However, there is one choice which God offers us: we are not allowed to make a mistake in this choice: "I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice and hold fast to him" (Deuteronomy 30, 19 & 20).

Don't let us think that God's grace exempts us from our responsibility of obeying him. In a speech the apostle Paul tells the inhabitants of Athens that the gospel is not only a choice we have to make but it is a command which we have to obey (Acts 17, 30 & 31). He writes to the Romans: "Not all the Israelites accepted the good news" (Romans 10, 16). Peter speaks of them who do not obey the gospel of God (1 Peter 4, 17). John declares: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life" (John 3, 36).

Next story: The right to be children of God