Every day we are faced with countless choices. Some are simple… what to eat, what to wear, but others carry weight that shapes the course of our lives. Scripture reminds us that our choices matter, and they often begin not with our actions, but with our thoughts.

In Deuteronomy 30, we find a clear challenge from God. Verses 19 and the first part of 20 say, “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.” That choice, life over death, blessing over curse, is not a one-time decision, but a daily posture of the heart… and it begins in our minds.

Our thoughts influence our emotions, our beliefs, and ultimately, our actions. If we dwell on fear, doubt, or defeat, we begin to live small, limited lives, but when our minds are renewed by God’s truth, we start to make decisions that align with His purpose, and we walk in the life He designed for us.

Jesus echoed this in John 10:10 when He said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” This full life isn’t just about material blessings or ease; it’s about walking in joy, peace, purpose, and freedom, regardless of our circumstances. It’s a life where we are spiritually alive, emotionally whole, and mentally anchored in truth.

Friends, the beauty doesn’t stop there. Paul writes in Ephesians 3:20 that God is able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” That means when we align our thoughts with God’s Word and choose life daily, we don’t just survive… we thrive. We begin to see God’s abundance unfold in unexpected and supernatural ways.

This isn’t some Pollyanna version of life—some sugar-coated, highlight-reel faith for social media. It’s not about pretending everything is okay or smiling through gritted teeth while your world is falling apart. I know what it’s like to be in the pit. I’ve walked through the valley of the shadow of death and not as a metaphor but as a lived reality. I’ve felt hopeless. I’ve felt crushed. And yet, even there, Jesus met me. He didn’t just offer comfort. He rescued me.

The truth I share with you today isn’t something I read in a book or saw in someone else’s life. It’s the truth I’ve lived. Jesus doesn’t promise a life free from hardship. He promises His presence in the midst of it, and a life so full, so rich in love, peace, and purpose, that it overflows even in the darkest places.

So when I say “choose life,” I don’t mean fake it till you make it. I mean choose the real, gritty, healing, restoring life that only Jesus gives. The kind that goes beyond imagination. The kind that reaches into the broken places and makes them whole.

Choose that life.