“I have a right to do what I want with my body, and nobody is going to tell me otherwise.”

Whether the issue is abortion, birth control, IVF, or euthanasia, we value our choices as election cycles illustrate ad nauseum. Scripture teaches us to value choices:

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

This is not an invitation to faith but an invitation to act according to our faith. We are free to make choices. Those choices, however, are to demonstrate our allegiance to God (1 Corinthians 8:9; 1 John 4:20-21), which is why we do not use our freedom to make wrong choices (Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 2:16).

Our good choices are a response to the sacrifice He made for us in Jesus (1 John 4:19). That sacrifice did not just change our lives but our eternity. Grasping that sacrifice and what it accomplished explains how and why we make the choices we make. We are reminded:

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Our choices testify to the condition of our hearts (Luke 6:45). Undeniably we feel a strong sense of ownership over our own decisions. Yet, the Bible provides a counter-perspective to this autonomy. Joshua’s call to choose whom we will serve reflects a concrete commitment that affects every aspect of our lives. The choices testify to our values and our faith.

Our choices and the way we live our lives reveal our inner values and our relationship with God. The Scriptures remind us that while we are free to choose, those choices should be guided by divine wisdom rather than solely by personal desire.

Our freedom is not an excuse for self-indulgence but a call to honor God in all aspects of our lives. The ultimate measure of our choices is whether they reflect our commitment to God’s will and honor the sacrifice of Christ. In this way, our choices become a testimony to our devotion and a reflection of the transformative power of God’s love in our lives.