Our heart is where our choices lie. We make good choices. We make disastrous choices. Why the difference? It really has to do with who we are and the paths we choose.

There are basically two paths. The first path is the one we start out on and most of us stay on. This is the “self-worship” path. Dallas calls this, “The path to radical ruin.”

Self-worship means we put ourselves and our desires on the throne of our lives. We are the center of the universe.

It is like when we are one year old and we can’t distinguish between ourselves and the world around us. In some ways, for most of us, this never changes. We grow older but we don’t grow up. Until Jesus is on the throne of our lives, radical ruin is the outcome waiting for us in any possible given situation. John Maxwell says it this way,

“Unless God is in control of your life; your life is out of control.”

Our human nature is to focus on ourselves and what we want. The mantra of a “normal” person is, “I want what I want when I want it.” Are there any alternatives? One.

The second path is that of “self-denial.” This doesn’t mean we deny who we are and the condition we are in, rather it means we choose not to give in to our normal desires, which are to seek pleasure and be in control. Self-denial or the “path to radical goodness,” is where we live for the sake of others.

This doesn’t demean us. This doesn’t turn us into doormats to be stepped on or taken advantage of. This enhances who we are and puts us on the path that God designs us for all along. When Jesus is on the throne of our lives, we are finally our best, true selves. How does this happen?

It has to do with the five parts of who we are again: Heart, mind, body, social life, and soul. We will look at the path to radical ruin and the path to radical goodness. We are invited to choose. This cannot be done for us, but under the influence of God’s grace, it is possible to choose goodness.

Think of times when you denied something that you wanted and it actually worked out better?