The Luxury of Options

The luxury of options…. What exactly does it mean to have the luxury of options?

Personally, I think there is a point where having endless options turns into a nightmare. When you have too many choices the process of choosing the right one is agonizing.   Unless, your endless choices are ice cream flavors, ha ha.

Personally, I have found the key to maximizing the luxury of options is to know the why behind the choice I’m making. Like planning a vacation. In the beginning you have a luxury of options, which can be overwhelming.   When you know the why of your trip it helps minimize the overwhelm.   It starts with the question, what is the purpose; to relax, explore, reconnect, or conquer a bucket list?   Once you have identified the why it usually reduces the choices and makes the list more manageable.

This week we are leaning into authentic relationships. I believe when we know the why behind the relationships we are pursuing will help us navigate them with more authenticity and choose to be available for the right connections in our life.

God himself created relationships. What is His why behind creating relationships? Companionship? The challenge of something new? He wanted His own reality T.V. show?   Of course I’m joking. Genesis 1:27Genesis 1:27
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WP-Bible plugin tells us, “..God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Up until this point God had created things and creatures but never before was anything “in His image.” He wanted to have His people and be in personal relationship with them. The Lord walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the garden He created for them to both enjoy and care for. After sin and shame entered into their hearts everything changed and there was separation in their fellowship with the Lord.   God immediately restored the relationship He had created but once sin entered it created the need for repeated acceptable sacrifices to maintain connection with the Lord and one perfect sacrifice to fully restore relationship with all humanity that was created in God’s image.

It is easy to lose sight of God’s why behind creating us, relationship.   He is still in pursuit of authentic personal dwelling with each of us.   The Bible is full of treasure hunt hints to His full relationship restoration plan. In Jeremiah 31:31-34Jeremiah 31:31-34
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WP-Bible plugin He declared that a new covenant was coming unlike the covenant He had established with Israel’s ancestors.   The new one would be greater because He wouldn’t just be leading His people by the hand He would be within their hearts and minds.   He was bringing a newness of relationship that allowed each individual to know God and not just be taught about God.   He finishes the declarations decreeing, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34Jeremiah 31:34
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WP-Bible pluginb) God’s new covenant was initiated by His one and only Son Jesus, the perfect atoning sacrifice for all the sins of the world and fully activated when Jesus returned to Father God and released the Holy Spirit to live within God’s people.    Jesus explains it this way in our theme verse this week, John 14: 16-18John 14: 16-18
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WP-Bible plugin.   Jesus reassures His disciple’s as He prepared to leave, “ I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.” (John 14:18John 14:18
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WP-Bible plugin)   His leaving released the Holy Spirit to fulfill God’s decrees in Jeremiah 31 that He would be within each of their hearts and minds and they would experience a newness of authentic relationship allowing each individual to know God through their advocate the Holy Spirit.

Do you see the why of relationship created by the Lord? He wants us to know Him and live in close loving fellowship with Him. He desires for us to be is authentic and available. This week let’s draw into Him and let His goodness flow into our relationships with our family and friends.