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Choices
By John Tayeh
Youth Meeting
2019-03-22

When making mistakes we have choices
* Make excuses to God (blame others, including God)
* Own up in front of God (blame myself)
* Give up on God (Judas)
* Hide from god
* Rebel against god

I feel like I make excuses when I make a mistake
* I’m weak
* You didn’t help me enough God
* I give up: I tried so many times and you did not help me.

When we make a choice on how to handle our mistake, it will take us somewhere else.

Adam & Eve

The situation
* Don’t eat of the fruit
* The serpent deceived Eve
* Eve tempted Adam

God’s response:
* Gen 3:9 Where are you?
* But he knows what you did.
* God approaching Adam because he knew Adam was afraid.

Adam’s response:
* He just started to know good from bad.
* Gen 3:10 I heard your voice but I was afraid because I was naked and hid myself.
* “Yes, I ate,” and “the woman you gave me gave me of the tree.”

Adam’s choice:
I believe God wanted to hear, “I’m sorry,” instead.

Nathan & David

The situation
* Nathan did not go direct. He gave a parable.
* David judged harshly.
* God judged David as David judged.
* Then David says six words, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
* Notice the size of this sentence.

How can I get rid of my problem:
* Confess before God
* Confess before Abouna
* Get absolution
* REPENT *
* Ask God for help
* You can’t do it without God’s help
* One day God WILL to respond and help you
  *** ***
* God will help
* Maybe in his own good time
* Until then
* You do your part
* Implore and ask of god

Before you take the formal steps
* Weigh the pros and cons
* What will happen if I do or don’t
* Is my pride worth losing a friend
* Open up with yourself and think through
* “Will this lead me to heaven or hell”

Complex issues
* Multiple levels
* We can’t always see everything
* Deal with the surface issues first
* Take it layer by layer, step by step
* If we had to deal with everything wrong we might lose hope
* Can’t be solved in an instant

Take anger as an example (Fr. Anthony)
* I pray to take anger away from me
* Is God not able to instantly take away my anger?
* God is able!

Why does he not take it instantly?
* I am a complex organism with multiple layers
* If he takes my anger instantly, i will suffer from the trauma of side-effects
* Long-standing bad habits need to be healed gradually
* He wants me to see the econsequences and willingly give it up of my own free will
* Consequences of anger
  -> lose friend
  -> car accident
  -> traffic ticket

If he took it away today?
* He would be turning me into a weak person

Instead, if he lets me suffer the consequences
  -> insurance up
  -> fired from job
* I learn to leave it willingly
* I become stronger and more wise
* I become more prepared to serve Him

Any decision affects multiple people around you

1) You are a role model, a leader, a responsible person
   (Even if you think not.)
   Everything you do affects someone.
   Someone around you looks up to you and models your behavior.
   “It is bad enough one of these little ones should sin, but woe unto him by whose hand they might sin. It would be better if a millstone were tied around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”
   The biggest sin is not your own sin.
   It is causing someone else to sin!

2) Do not be hypocrite
   Treat people how you want to be treated.
   Treat GOD how you want to be treated.
   “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”
   “Woe unto you scribes, pharisees, hypocrites!”
   “These people worship me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”