This post took a left turn this morning. I had other plans. There are a couple of ideas running through my head that I am going to write about but not today. Something else caught my attention today. Let me explain.

Every morning, I feed my kids and get them on the school bus. It is a short amount time but I get to influence my kids for God, hopefully. After I make breakfast, there is a captive audience. They eat and I read. We are in Matthew right now, specifically chapter 26. My kids are 11 and 8 so we read from the Message translation. Sometimes I wonder if they even are listening or remotely understanding what I am reading. But it is God’s word.

Can’t go wrong with reading the Word.

Here are the verses that hit me. I normally use the New International Version when quoting scripture but this is from the Message version just as I read it this morning.

“That is when one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the cabal of high priests and said, “What will you give me if I hand him over to you?” They settled on thirty silver pieces. He began looking for just the right moment to hand him over.” Matthew 26:14-16

Judas was many things. But if I could narrow it down to one word, Judas was selfish. It was all about him. And that is what led him to do what he did.

When we encounter Jesus, we must ask ourselves a question. There are two questions and we have to pick one of them.

Question #1 “What’s in this for me?” 

Question #2 “Will Jesus be glorified?”

In the case of Judas, he asked question #1. And what the result? He killed himself. Death.

I would like to submit to you that if we ask question #2, the result will be life, not death.

Choosing God will always end with life. The alternative is choosing anything but God. What will come of choosing someone or something other than God? You know the answer.

Just like millions of people before us, we have a choice. If you make the right choice, He will empower you to live it out. But it starts with our choice. So make the right one today.

God will not disappoint you. Ever.