Choices

             Recently, in a group study of women of the Bible, I had the opportunity to dig into the life of Jezebel, probably the evilest woman in all of Scripture.  “Bad” is not a strong enough word to describe her.  She was so wicked that her name has become synonymous with evil (Revelation 2: 2 – 23).

            Yet, as we examined her life more closely, we found characteristics that could just have easily been used for good.    She was confident in her position and power.  As the daughter of a king and the wife of another, she knew the power that she controlled, and she wasn’t afraid to use it.  Yet, that same confidence turned to arrogance when she realized that her fate was sealed.  She made sure that she went out, looking like the Queen that she was.  (II Kings 9: 30).

            She was also determined.  When she set her mind to something, she intended to see it through.  Her greatest regret was probably the fact that she was unable to kill the prophet, Elijah.  Yet, that determination also made her stubborn to the point that she was blinded by the sin that she had embraced.

            Making decisions came easy for her, so when her husband whined about his failure to obtain the neighbor’s vineyard, she acted swiftly, regardless of the cost.  Without giving it a second thought, her impulse was to have the man killed and take the land that he refused to sell.

            Finally, she was devoted to her god, Baal.  Unfortunately, he was no god at all, which Elijah clearly showed when he defeated the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel (I Kings 18: 19 – 39).  Devotion is good if it is directed in the right way.

            My point is that all of Jezebel’s characteristics, confidence, determination, decisiveness, and devotion, can be used for good or evil.  Jezebel chose evil and never wavered.  That choice ultimately led to her demise.

            God has given each of us various characteristics, but it is our choice as to how we use them.  Almost any characteristic, when taken to one extreme or the other, will not yield a good result.  If you have ever taken a personality test, then you probably have some idea of what your strengths and weaknesses are.  However, you can’t stop there.  You need to consider your strengths and ask yourself “When have I taken them to an extreme and what was the result?”  In other words, how can I harness my strengths to make sure they are used positively?

            Then, you must do the same with your weaknesses.  Many weaknesses can be turned into strengths if you are willing to make the effort to change. 

            Jezebel chose a life of evil but someone else with those same characteristics could have just as easily chosen a life of good.  It was her choice. 

            It’s also our choice, but we have one advantage over Jezebel.  We have the power of the Holy Spirit living within us, guiding us to make the right choices.  Don’t just blow off the characteristics that you think are weaknesses, ask God to show you how to use them for good.  Also ask Him to help you keep a tight rein on your strengths so that they don’t turn into evil. 

            Jezebel is no one’s favorite character but she can still teach us a lot.  The number one lesson is:  Make good choices!

Proverbs 2: 1 – 5

Proverbs 4: 23 - 27

 

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