Life is full of choices.  Each day, whether you realize it or not, from the very moment you open your eyes in the morning, you have choices to make.  Should I get up now or go back to sleep? What should I wear today? Should I spend time with God this morning? etc. Some choices are so easy that you don't even think of them as choices - they are made almost automatically with very little thought.  Others require specific attention, but they are still not too hard.  Yet some choices can seem overwhelming, especially if we think they might "cost" us something (such as the approval of others) or significantly impact some aspect of our life.   

This was Elsie's dilemma in Elsie's Impossible Choice.  Elsie had waited eight long, lonely years to meet her father and have the kind of father-daughter relationship with him that she had always dreamed of.  But just when she was beginning to have it, her relationship with her father is put to a grave test: she has to choose between her earthly father and her Heavenly Father (who she also loves with her whole heart).  Elsie was completely distraught.   

Outside, the day was as beautiful as Elsie had predicted it would be, but no sunlight could penetrate her misery. Though her sobbing gradually subsided, she could find no relief from the enormous weight that seemed to be crushing down upon her. He had said it was her choice....    From Elsie's Impossible Choice  

Imagine the great confusion and turmoil in Elsie's heart - choosing between her father and God.  What agony!  It must have been similar to the agony Abraham felt when God asked him to sacrifice his son, Isaac (the child for whom he and Sarah had waited 25 long years).   

You will probably never ever be called upon to make such a big choice, but one thing is for sure--there will be times in your life where you will have to make hard choices or very difficult decisions, some of which will have incredibly important consequences.   

A BIBLE STORY ABOUT A KING WHO HAD TO MAKE A VERY DIFFICULT CHOICE WITH VERY BIG CONSEQUENCES.
 
The Story of King Solomon and the Two Mothers (1 Kings 3:16-28)

Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. One of them said, "My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us. "During the night this woman's son died because she lay on him.  So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. The next morning, I got up to nurse my son--and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't the son I had borne."  The other woman said, "No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours." But the first one insisted, "No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine." And so they argued before the king.  

The king said, "This one says, 'My son is alive and your son is dead,' while that one says, 'No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.' "  

Who should get the living baby? What a hard decision for Solomon to make!  Imagine the consequences!  What would you do? How would you decide? 

Read on to find out what happened next. 

Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king. He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other." 

The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!" But the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!" 

Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother."  When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice. 

Wow!  What a wise ruling!  Solomon knew that only the real mother would rather give up her child than see him put to death.

Where did Solomon get such great wisdom? Read 1Kings 3:7-9 and 4:29-34 to find out. 

WHEN YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE 

Sometimes, the difficult choices you will have to make will involve following God's ways verses going "another way" (for example, if a close friend wants you to go with her to a movie that you know your parents would disapprove of.)  In those cases, the hard part might not be knowing what God wants you to do, but having the courage to do it.  Sometimes following God "hurts."  In Elsie's case, she knew that if she disobeyed her father to obey God, she could lose her relationship with her father forever.  What a tough choice!   

At other times, your difficult choice might not be a choice that involves moral or Biblical issues, but it could be a hard choice nevertheless.  For example, how do you choose between two equally good alternatives, like two conflicting after-school activities or two summer job options.  Sometimes, you may even find yourself facing a decision that will impact your whole life, such as when you have to decide if someone is the right lifetime marriage partner for you.  At those times, you will probably find yourself wishing you could know in advance exactly how things were going to turn out.   

What Biblical Principles and Scriptures Did Elsie Rely On To Help Her When It Was Hard To Choose? 

Elsie knew that when it came to difficult choices, what she needed was wisdom from God, and He wanted to give it to her. 

Pr. 2:6 - "For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." 

Ja. 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 

Pr. 3:13-15 - "Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her." 

Pr. 4:6 - "Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you."

Elsie knew that God's Word was a compass that would help direct her.

Ps. 119:105 - Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. 

Ps. 32:8 - I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. 

Is. 42:16 - I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. 

Ps. 111:10 - "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding."

Elsie knew that she was not expected to have enough wisdom on her own.  

Pr. 3:5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. 

Pr. 19:20 - Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.

Pr. 15:22 - Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed.

Elsie prayed and let the peace of God guide her.  

Phil. 4: 6-7 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  

Ja. 3: 17 - But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 

Elsie knew that even if it "cost" her something to do the right thing, it was still the right thing. 

Pr. 4:7 - Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. 

Did you know that many people in the Bible willingly gave up or lost important and valuable things because they chose to follow and obey God above all else?  Here are a few examples:   

Moses chose to give up the ease, position, power, wealth, comfort, safety, security, home, friends, family, favor, and approval that he had living as part of Pharoah's family in order to stand up for his Jewish brethren and follow God. 

Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Adednego, chose to refuse to worship anyone else but God even though the penalty was death.   

Ruth chose to give up her homeland in order to follow the God of Naomi. 

Queen Esther chose to risk her life by going to the King uninvited.  

The apostles chose to be imprisoned and persecuted for their faith in Jesus rather than to be set free by renouncing their faith in Him. 

Noah chose to be ridiculed while he built the ark at God's direction.    

The Good News

When you are young, it is easy to think that you "know it all."  But no matter how smart you are or how much "common sense" you have, true wisdom is something that comes primarily with time and experience.  When you hear adults talk about "the school of hard knocks," that is what they are referring to - the fact that we acquire over a lifetime; it is not something that we have a lot of all at once.  Good judgment, knowledge, learning, spiritual wisdom and discernment, and skill in life--these are all things that take time.  We have to grow in them. 

But the good news is that you are not expected to figure everything out on your own.  God gives you the Bible, His Holy Word, His Holy Spirit, and your parents, church leaders, friends and loved ones, to help you make wise choices and decisions. Whether your decisions and choices are big or little, you need only to ask and they will help guide you in the right path. 

Pr. 2: 6-9 says, "For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair--every good path."