by Tad Lindley
Remember how some of those sweepstakes by mail used to let you choose your Early Bird prize if you won? It would be something like a choice between a new sports car or $5,000 a month for a whole year or a lifetime supply of Burger King Whoppers. You would lick the stamp of the prize you were choosing and then send in it early. I never knew anyone to win either the cash or the sports car or the Whoppers, so I suspect that it was all fake, but that never stopped me from licking the stamp and sending it in.
Which would you pick?
Believe it or not, in the Bible Moses, being the spokesman for God gave the people a choice in their blessing. Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day, and a curse , if you will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods which you have not known. (Deuteronomy 11:26-18) To me it seems like a no brainer, a blessing from God, or a curse from God.
But wait, there are strings attached
This is where it gets tricky. Who wouldn’t want the blessing of God? You would be crazy to turn it down, but then when we find out that there are actually some conditions on the blessing of God how many of us think things over and decide that we are not interested? “Blessings of God! Yeah, count me in. Whoa, wait a minute, you mean to tell me that I can’t eat goat meat boiled in goat milk anymore if I choose the blessings? No deal. Sorry Moses, I’m out of here!” Others might cross their arms and say, “If God won’t bless me unconditionally, then I don’t want any part of him. He’ll just have to find someone else to bless!”
Imagine
Imagine if the people who heard Moses offer them the chance to pick God’s blessing had not only chosen the blessing, but also followed the commandments. Imagine that even this very day, that all people on planet earth chose the blessing of God even though it meant following the Bible. I’m not even talking about believing in God. I am not talking about the plan of salvation, I’m simply talking about obedience to the word. Not necessarily because of a love for God or a fear of hell, but simply because of the blessing.
How would life change?
Let’s lay the salvation question aside for the moment. Let atheists remain atheists, and Zoroastrians remain Zoroastrians. Let Buddhists continue to meditate, and others pray toward Mecca five times a day. Let the only change in behavior be that it would conform to what Jesus calls us to in scripture. There would be no more wars (Hebrews 12:14). AIDS would be non-existent (Leviticus 18, I Corinthians 6:9-11). Deaths from tobacco, alcohol, and drugs would stop (I Corinthians 6:12). Prisons would be so empty that many would be likely converted over to hospitals or schools. Wait, scratch hospitals, since obesity related sickness and other diseases of choice would disappear as people began to treat their bodies as the temple of God (I Corinthians 6:19). There would be no more murder (Exodus 20:13). The divorce rate would plummet due to the disappearance of adultery (Exodus 20:14) and a dramatic increase as husbands began to love their wives as much as they love themselves, and women began to respect their husbands (Ephesians 5:22-33).
But it will never happen
It’s easy for us to say, “That sounds great, but it will never happen.” Truly we have no control over other people, but we do have control over ourselves. And even if nobody else chooses the blessings of God, opting instead for the curse, I will choose the blessings of God. How about you? You pick.
Reverend Tad Lindley is a minister at the United Pentecostal Church in Bethel, Alaska.
