Sometimes there is a hard life decision, one from which there is no turning back. Roger Williams made such a decision when he had to decide to stand for his principles in the new world vs. take a job at a major church in Boston from which he could have been a major leader. Pink Floyd describes this type of hard decision as taking a role in a walk-on war vs. a lead role in a cage.
Salvation is like that. It is a decision to accept the gift Jesus offers. If you say yes you have walk-on part in building his kingdom in this world — a kingdom for which every citizen is fought for, and yet where every citizen has come to it voluntarily. If you say no, you are forever in the cage of this world, locked away from heavenly places, no matter how great a leader you become.
Before a decision is made, there a piece of your being desiring each choice. There is a longing for the benefits of each side of the decision. We can be torn apart by indecision, and lack of decision is usually a decision for one side or the other.
After a person chooses the principled path, the walk-on part in a war, there are three emotional consequences:
- Respect — even if people disagree they know what you have done involves sacrifice and unselfishness for a cause higher than yourself and your immediate needs.
- Relief — the tension of having to decide is over, and the choice is honorable.
- Hope —for the battles yet to be won.
If you lived in Roger Williams day or in an environment intolerant of dissent, the fourth reaction sets in: you are chased out, banished.
Originally published on Medium in About Rekindled.
Order historical fiction novel Rekindled with the button below.
Photograph courtesy of Morguefile by RicoRocks
