I was very blessed this past Sunday morning to hear Rhoda Lynn Dayo, one of our worship leaders at Frontline Worship Center, share the testimony to the origin of the song “I Have Decided.”  I was surprised to hear that it was not originally a song, but rather the dying words of a man from Assam, India, as his wife and he were executed for having converted to Christianity.

The words spoken in the face of danger, during the execution of his wife, and ultimately just before his life was taken, give us a very powerful worship song:

I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back.

Though none go with me, still I will follow,
Though none go with me still I will follow
Though none go with me still I will follow, no turning back

The cross before me, the world behind me
The cross before me, the world behind meThe cross before me, the world behind me, no turning back

I am a fan of many modern praise and worship songs.  I enjoy singing songs from Elevation Worship, Jesus Culture, United Pursuit, and many other bands.  But something about hearing the simplicity of “I Have Decided” reminded me that many times we make our faith in Jesus Christ more about emotions and feelings, instead of what it really is.  A choice.

In life we are faced with countless options and, one way or another, we make choices on a daily basis. Becoming a Christ-Follower is the best choice I ever made hands down.  Don’t get me wrong; I believe that God gave us emotions to help enhance our experience of life on earth, but what I do not believe is the concept of emotions playing a role in the driver’s seat of my life.

Sadly I think we see emotions driving our lives too many times, myself included.  When we are upset, frustrated or sad, it is too easy to let those feelings give a general overcast to our life. Suddenly our marriage is not doing as well, our children are not meeting our expectations, other people just don’t ‘get it’ and for sure they cannot understand what we are going through… The list can go on and on when our emotions drive our lives.  I think the answer is simple.

God is love. Love is a choice. When we choose God we choose His Agape love.  We choose to become sons and daughters of the living King. We know that we will experience “the good, the bad, and the ugly” and yet I choose love. I choose joy. I choose servanthood. I choose to remember that I Have Decided To Follow Jesus. As a follower of Him, I choose that emotions will help me experience life to the fullest, but they will not drive my every thought, action, and decision. I have decided to follow Jesus, what choice will you make?

j

At FACE The Children we continue to commit ourselves to rescuing and restoring kids who have been victimized by Abuse, Abandonment, or Dangerous Neglect.  With God's leading we look to holistically restore every child's mind, body, spirit, and soul.  We have seen first hand how God has changed the lives of so many children.  Kids who were once living on the sidewalks, but are now in college and actively serving God.  Kids who were treated wrong by so many people, but have now learned how to forgive and are now reaching back out to those same people with God's love.

We now have two centers operating full time.  FTC Boarding Homes and FTC Interim Center.  As of today we have 44 kids in our full-time care. Praise God!