Good Lord and Good Decisions

A couple weeks ago, a 55-year-old Georgia man stole a beer truck and then proceeded to run himself over with it.  Gregory Miller stole an 18-wheel Coors Lite truck after finding that the driver had left the keys in the ignition.  Police gave chase until Miller jumped out of the vehicle while the vehicle was still moving.  The truck ran over Miller’s leg, leading to a hospital stay after his arrest.

Miller’s story is a bit extreme, but how many of us make bad decisions knowing that the results are going to be bad too?  We snap at a loved one, knowing it will lead to an argument.  We buy something we can’t afford, knowing it will stress us out later.  We bend the truth, knowing it will cause confusion and suspicion some other time.  If we are honest, we know our decisions will have negative consequences, but we press on.

The Apostle Paul talks about this struggle in Romans.  Romans 7 says, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”  Paul knows that bad behavior will lead to bad consequences, but he still does it anyways.  Paul’s experience is very human.  All people have a hard time choosing the right things in their own power.  It is as if we need help from something outside of ourselves.

Jesus at arrives at Christmas to solve that struggle.  Jesus takes on flesh and dwells among people who can’t resist bad decisions.  Jesus creates a type of human that is truly capable of making good decisions and enjoying the good results.  In Christ, there is a way to live a righteous life, free from the drama that comes with police chases and stolen beer trucks.

As you worship Jesus this Christmas, invite Jesus to make you into His image more and more.  Ask Jesus to help you make good decisions that yield good results – like Him.   As you do, you will find a life free of the drama that tends to accompany bad choices.  You’ll also experience the very reason Jesus came to us at Christmas in the first place.