“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
Following God
“Hey Ken,” our line coach Jimmy McNally asked me. “Did you work on your pass sets today?”
“Uhh, sure,” I replied, even though I knew it wasn’t true.
Not wanting my coach to see me as anything but the hardest of workers, I chose to lie rather than have him think less of me. Minutes later, while still sitting at my locker, God convinced me that I needed to return to him and apologize for lying. So I trudged up to his room and confessed my sin, and he graciously accepted my apology.
So often in life we are faced with a choice: Will we follow God, even when it is inconvenient or costly? In times like those, we would do well to remember Elijah. Surrounded by a community that had chosen disobedience as a way of life, Elijah stood strong and chose to follow God, even if that meant having the king chase him around trying to kill him. And his community responded by turning back to God.
We all face difficult choices. Will I cheat a little on my taxes? Will I help that person in need? Will I lie to my coach or boss to avoid trouble?
In little choices as well as big, God calls us to follow Him by obeying His commands. Start today. Put a stake in the ground and decide to choose to follow Him regardless. If you blow it in the future, ask for forgiveness and move on.
Jesus simply asks us to resolutely choose God’s way. To do anything else invites trouble and distress.
— Ken Moyer, former Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman
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