I thank God for Giving Me a Choice

     I thank God for giving me a choice, to be the kind of person that I want to be. No one has control over my mind. I can walk the path that I choose and I can believe the way I want to believe. In my opinion, this is the way it is for all of us. There are those who choose to do bad things but I do not have to be like them. I can spend my time doing good, it is my choice. I do not have to be like them and they do not have to be like me, we are all given a choice in how we choose to be.
     I know there are exceptions, like the severely mentally disabled people, who seem to be at the mercy of their impulses but most of us have the freedom of choice. When I say freedom of choice, I mean the freedom of doing good over evil, of choosing righteousness over unrighteousness, even in extreme conditions. In chapter 3 in the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image and order his people to worship the image, when the music played. If anyone did not fall down and worship the golden image, they would be thrown into a burning fiery furnace.
     There were three people who did not worship the golden image. Their names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar became furious with them and told them if they do not serve my gods or worship the image that he had made, he would cast them immediately into the burning fiery furnace. They gave their answer to the King in Daniel 3:16-18 "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the King, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. ¹⁸But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
     The story goes on to tell us that those men were thrown into the fiery furnace but an angel from God protected them, they were not harmed, nor even their clothes smelled of smoke. King Nebuchadnezzar told them to come out of the furnace and then he order his people to never to speak against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego again. This story shows us even when our very lives are on the line, we still have a choice whether or not to be faithful to God. Our enemy does not have control over our mind and we can still make a choice. Maybe it will be our last one upon this earth but remember what Jesus said in Matthew 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
     I thank God I am given a choice to serve him even unto death. I do not have to do as others do. I do not have to murder my brothers and sisters. I do have to steal or to cause any harm to anyone if I do not want to. I can try to do good all the days of my life and serve God until the day I die.  God has given us all, this vast freedom to choose up until the day of our final judgement. It is left to all of us whether or not we spend our days doing evil or doing good.