Be on God's side

Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right. (Abraham Lincoln)

I have never really understood how a nation can be so divided when it is has been given so much in terms of freedom, liberty, and foundation, yet we see this division all the time. There seems to be this great need to 'pick sides' and then remain firmly committed to the 'side' you picked. In school, I remember not so much 'picking sides' as being 'picked for a side'. There would be someone appointed as the 'team captain' and then the two captains would stand there and 'pick' their players one by one - taking turns so as to be 'fair' in the choosing. What you dreaded most was being amongst the last to be picked - because that really meant they didn't view you as worth much on the team. What this world refers to as 'sides' has existed since the beginning of time - it may have looked different in the Garden of Eden, but between the serpent and God (the two team 'captains') sides were being chosen!

You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you. (John 15:16)

Notice that Jesus does not ask if God will be on our side - he asks us to be on his. He did the choosing - as the 'team captain', he selected us. Let me also assure you he didn't view us as the 'bottom of the barrel' picks, either! From the beginning of time, even before we were a twinkle in our daddy's eye, we were chosen as his. As with Lincoln, I say the most important thing to keep in mind is not that God is on our side, because he already is, but to remain faithfully on God's side until we each breathe our last breath on this earth. If we focus on God first in all things, then we can be assured God will always bring about the plans that are 'right' for our lives. 

I don't care what 'side' you pick in an election anymore than I are what color shirt you put on today. If you are comfortable in your choice, knowing God is behind you in your choice, then it is the right choice for you to make. I don't care what 'side' you pick when selecting whether you will drive a Ford or Dodge truck - if it gets you there, you like the ride, and you find the price point acceptable for the choice you make, so be it. There are choices we make each and every day - from the clothes we wear to the toothpaste we use when we scrub our teeth. In essence, every 'choice' is really us choosing 'sides'. There is but one 'choice' that we make that actually matters - the choice to embrace God as he has embraced us, or the choice to reject his embrace.

We aren't to forget that we are chosen - we didn't do the choosing. We choose whether to remain faithful to the 'side' we were chosen into, though. We can apply ourselves to getting to know God well, or we can just be 'bench-warmers' in the pews. This is where the 'side' makes all the difference. Remember the words of Christ - if you are not for me, you are against me (Luke 11:23). If you are not gathering, you are scattering - if you are not 'on my side', you are really against me. God calls us to take the 'right side' in any and all matters - that being the 'side' that chooses to serve him faithfully regardless of all the 'matters' going on around us. Just sayin!

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