Here’s a phrase which many of you who follow politics have no doubt already begun to hear quite a bit and of which the rest of the citizenry is about to get a big, double-dog-dare-ya-to-disregard dose during this election year:  “binary choice”.

“Not enthused with either presidential (or congressional or local) candidate and therefore don’t plan to vote for Trump?  Then you’re in essence voting for Biden!”  Or, “Not going to vote for Biden?  Then you’re in effect voting for Trump!”

In other words, because we (U.S.) only have two major political parties, it ends up being a binary choice virtually every time.

Regardless of how good or bad either or both candidates on the ballot might be… if you don’t vote for the one, then in practical terms you’re helping elect the other, and vice versa.

But far, far, far more important and weighty than any political battle is the fact that this concept also holds true on the spiritual  battlefield.

The Bible comes to a crystal clear conclusion:  each person faces several binary choices in life which will largely determine how they fare not just emotionally or relationally or physically but also spiritually… here are four of them.

Pray – or be  prey.

• “Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation … Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour [i.e., to PREY upon] … Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil … With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit…” (Matthew 26:41a; 1 Peter 5:8b; Ephesians 6:11,18a)

Be humble – or be humbled.

• “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)
• “And He [Jesus] began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table; saying to them, When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who invited you both shall come and say to you, “Give [that/your] place to this man,” and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last [i.e., worst, lowliest] place.  But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher”; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.  For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.'” (Luke 14:7-11)

Be forgiving – or be unforgiven.

• “Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you entreated me.  Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, even as I had mercy on you?’  And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.  o shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not FORGIVE his brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:32-35)
• “For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13)
• “The merciful man does HIMSELF good, but the cruel man does himself harm.” (Proverbs 11:17)

Meditation – or medication.

• “For they [the “my words” of verse 20, i.e., God’s words and Word, the Bible] are life to those who find them, and health to all their whole body.” (Proverbs 4:22)
• “Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” (Psalm 119:11)
• “O how I love Thy law!” [i.e., the Bible]  It is my meditation all the day.(Psalm 119:97)
• “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.  And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.” (Psalm 1:2-3)
• “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” (Joshua 1:8)

If we want to fulfill the following verse and “finish strong” and receive a waiting reward, a literal crown…

• “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

… then it’s absolutely crucial that we choose correctly when it comes to binary choices, in which inaction is tantamount to losing.

In other words, we will wisely want to “finish the course” – all  18 holes, as it were – and thus put in a GREAT FINISH in this life, in light of the one (and the One) to come.

We don’t  want to be like this year’s (yesterday’s) Masters pro golf tournament which looked certain  to be headed for a fantastic finish when, with around just nine holes left to play, not one, not two, not even three but an unheard-of FOUR players were all tied for the lead (at -6).

“Four  co-leaders with just the BACK NINE to play?  It’s going to be one whale of a finish!”

Then three of them watched their golf game fall apart.  Despite how excellent it had been for each of them the previous 3.5 rounds.

And, sadly, that’s exactly how it is for far too many Christians:  strong (and, often, very  strong) start, weak finish.

To paraphrase the verse above, “No good.”

Not good enough.

Not good at all.

Because, you see, it’s not how one starts that really counts, it’s how one finishes.

The silver lining yesterday was that, while three of the four down-the-stretch co-leaders fell apart, the other one – a brother in Christ no less, named Scottie Scheffler, the #1-ranked golfer in the world even before yesterday’s major win – “finished strong” after making great choice (wood or iron?) after great choice (go for the pin or lay up?) after great choice (wedge or putter from just off the green?).

May we too heed the advice of a fictional yet fully factual phrase from a (very) old knight and “choose wisely” when it comes to the binary choices we face week in and week out.

Yes, exactly!  We must  choose.  May we choose wisely.  Per the precious passages cited above, so that we will “finish strong” in this life in light of  the one to come and thus receive the crown of righteousness.

(That’s even far greater than golf’s “green jacket”!)

 

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