This pandemic crisis has put most people in some type of bind or another. Do people stay safe at home or make an extra trip to the store? Do business owners close down to protect their employees or stay open to provide them with work/paychecks? Do government leaders help only their own constituents or provide help for others? The difficult choices we make reveal our character.
Captain Brett Crozier, the recent commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, faced a difficult decision. COVID-19 was sweeping through his ship. While the U.S. Navy was assisting with the affected sailors, Crozier realized it was impossible for the remaining crew to take the necessary precautions to stop the spread. He decided to write a letter to several Naval leaders, including some not in the chain of command, pleading for the crew to be evacuated and quarantined on shore. His actions drew the necessary attention needed to evacuate and protect the crew, but he was also relieved of his command for his breach of protocol. When faced with this difficult choice, Crozier chose the crew over his career.
As Christians, we are often called to make difficult choices. Christ asks us to choose His ways over the ways of the world, to sacrifice ourselves for our enemies, to obey Him rather than our own hearts. But, while making the correct choice might be hard at times, God knows it is for our ultimate good. He tells us through Deuteronomy 30:19 that, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses.... Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” May we honor God by the choices we make, even when they are difficult, so that we might choose life!