I Have Decided

An old hymn we sang in church when I was little popped in my head yesterday: "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus."

The premise of the song was pretty simple.  

I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back.

If no one joins me, I will still follow; no turning back.

The cross before me, the world behind me; no turning back.

If you know the song, it will now be playing in your head for the day.

You're welcome.

I was thinking about the phrase "I have decided."

It's a firm statement of conviction and certainty that made me wonder what the circumstances might have been for the person that wrote the song.

From what I can gather, the song was inspired by the last words of a martyr named Nokseng in India, who converted to Christianity in the 19th century. He recited words from the Chapter of John in the Bible as he and his family were killed.

Missionaries from India set the words to the melody of an Indian Folk song called "Assam" to honor this man's bravery and love for God. An American composer later adapted the song to the version we know today.

The song certainly hits a bit differently, knowing it was inspired by someone who faced that terrible fate and still stood firm in their faith until their last breath.

That man was so confident of the salvation offered by God that he did not turn back, even when faced with death.

Man, I don't know about you, but I'm feeling some conviction as I continue to waffle back and forth on my journey forward.

I am indeed grateful that my salvation is locked in, thanks to Jesus, and that nothing I do allows me to earn or lose that eternal certainty.

Yet, I still have a decision to face. We all do.

Do we follow our desires even though God pulls us in another direction?

Do we listen to the shoulds of the world and go where it calls us as we compare and compete and become someone God didn't intend us to be?

Do we fall back and turn on a path of destruction when we know that God is ahead of us, beckoning us to stay the course?

Or do we decide to move forward on the path we are on, which is as uncertain as it is?

Do we continue to follow God and say yes, even though we don't often know what we are saying yes to?

Yes, beloved, that's what we do.

We decide to say yes to God, the one who loves us, saves us, and will never leave us or forsake us.

We decide to say yes to Jesus, the one who sacrificed everything for us to walk this path of freedom.

We listen and decide to honor the Holy Spirit, which gives us the wisdom and discernment to get up and walk out into a new and beautiful life.

We have come so far; there's no turning back now.

Even if we walk alone for a while, our decision stands firm.

Eyes ahead, focused on Jesus, no turning back.

You are on this exquisite path as the beloved and cherished child of God, and what lies ahead is nothing short of miraculous.

Look what God has done, beloved.

You have decided well.

Matthew 16: 24-25

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it."

John 8:12

Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life."

John 12:26

"If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you'll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment's notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me."