I Have
Decided.

Tonight at Friday Night RAW, we studied Isaiah 45 and were reminded of one unchanging truth: there is only one God.

“For there is no other God but me, a righteous God and Savior. There is none but me.” —Isaiah 45:21 NLT

God does not share His position with anyone or anything. He alone is Lord. He alone is Savior. He alone deserves our worship, obedience, and surrender.

Many of us can remember the moment we decided to ask Jesus into our hearts. That decision is where our new life begins—but it is not the last decision we will have to make.

Following Christ requires daily decisions.

Every day, I must decide whether I will follow Him or follow my feelings. I must decide whether I will obey His Word or do what feels easiest. I must decide whether I will worship Him in difficult circumstances, repent when I am wrong, forgive when I have been hurt, and remain faithful when obedience costs me something.

Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23 NLT).

Notice that Jesus said daily. Yesterday’s obedience does not make today’s decisions for us. We must choose Him again today.

This week required hard decisions.

This week, I have had to make some hard decisions. Those decisions have required me to look honestly at my own actions. They have also required me to acknowledge the things I should have done but did not do.

Accountability is uncomfortable. It is easier to examine what someone else did than to ask God to examine us. It is easier to explain our intentions than to accept responsibility for the effect of our choices.

But repentance requires honesty.

Sometimes sin is found in something we deliberately did. At other times, we recognize that we failed to do what God had already shown us was right.

“Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” —James 4:17 NLT

That Scripture is sobering because it reminds us that we are accountable not only for our wrong actions but also for the right actions we refused, delayed, or neglected.

These are not easy questions. But growth requires us to stop hiding from the truth.

Proverbs 28:13 says, “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy” (NLT).

God does not reveal our mistakes to destroy us. He brings them into the light so that He can correct us, cleanse us, and teach us to walk differently.

Repentance is also a decision.

Repentance is more than feeling sorry. It is the decision to agree with God, turn away from what was wrong, and walk in a new direction.

“Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other.” —Isaiah 45:22 NLT

When we recognize that we have made a poor decision, our answer is not to run away from God. Our answer is to look toward Him.

We look to Him for forgiveness. We look to Him for correction. We look to Him for wisdom. We look to Him for the strength to make things right. We look to Him because there is no other Savior.

We cannot save ourselves through excuses, denial, blame, or good intentions. Jesus is the One who saves us, but we must decide to surrender ourselves to Him.

Every decision reveals who we are following.

We can say that Jesus is Lord, but our everyday decisions reveal whether we are allowing Him to lead us.

Who leads our words? Who leads our relationships? Who leads our finances? Who leads our reactions? Who leads our ministry? Who leads our private decisions when nobody else is watching?

Joshua challenged God’s people: “Choose today whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15 NLT). That choice was not merely about what they claimed to believe. It was about how they would live.

We must make the same choice today. Will we serve our emotions, our pride, our comfort, our fear, or our need to be right? Or will we serve Jesus?

Following Christ means deciding that His way is better—even when His way is harder.

Hard decisions can produce holy growth.

Hard decisions force us to slow down and examine our hearts. They show us where we still need healing, wisdom, discipline, and maturity.

David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23–24 NLT).

That is my prayer.

Lord, search me. Show me what I did that did not honor You. Show me what I should have done but failed to do. Show me where my motives were wrong, where I acted too quickly, and where I allowed fear, hurt, pride, or emotion to influence my decisions. Then teach me how to make a better decision next time.

Accountability does not mean that we live under condemnation. Romans 8:1 tells us that there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Accountability means we receive God’s correction and allow it to produce change.

I am still deciding to follow Jesus.

I do not stand before you as someone who has made every decision correctly. I stand as someone who still needs God’s mercy, wisdom, correction, and grace.

This week reminded me that leadership does not remove my need for accountability. Ministry does not excuse my mistakes. Loving God does not mean that I will never make a wrong decision. It means that when God reveals something in me, I must be willing to repent, learn, and change.

I am still deciding to follow Jesus.

I decide to serve Him when serving is inconvenient. I decide to worship Him when my heart is hurting. I decide to repent when I am wrong. I decide to accept responsibility for what I did—and for what I knew to do but failed to do. I decide to make amends where possible. I decide to receive correction without allowing shame to drive me away from God. I decide to keep walking forward with greater wisdom. I decide that Jesus will be Lord over every part of my life.

There is only one God, Isaiah 45 declares. Therefore, there can only be one rightful Lord of my life.

Not my emotions. Not my pride. Not other people’s opinions. Not fear. Not shame. Jesus Christ alone.