"Choose Life!"
#84-01Presented on The Lutheran Hour on September 4, 2016
By Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz, Lutheran Hour Speaker
(Q&A Topic:How Can Christians Cope With Debates and Arguments in the Media?)
Copyright 2025 Lutheran Hour Ministries
Q&A MP3
Text: Deuteronomy 30:15-20
"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving Yahweh your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life."
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia.
What's your job? What do you do? That's a question people may ask when they meet you. In fact, some people feel it's more important than their name! So, how do you answer it?
You may reply by describing your nine-to-five occupation. Perhaps you talk about life in retirement or the daily challenges and joys you tackle as a homemaker. It may be that you discuss your latest pursuit as a student.
So, what do you do? What's your job?
That little inquiry may raise your blood pressure and increase your stress level. It may make you feel self conscious. And what about the feelings you might be having if you are out of a job right now or if you feel miserable about the work you're doing. Sometimes there are moments in your life when you feel tempted to think that your best days are behind you and your purpose in life has faded.
Dear friends, I especially want you to know, right now, you don't need to despair. Whatever your situation in life might be, you have a very important job to do. You have an incredible purpose. Embedded in your day-to-day life at this very moment is an important calling.
You heard me correctly. Whether you are a CEO of a corporation, or a mom taking care of her kids at home, a farmer, a laborer, a retiree, or a person struggling with illness or loneliness, you have an incredible purpose; a very important job.
A wise salesman once said that his purpose was not to sell products but to befriend people. That salesman touched on the ultimate purpose that you and I have in life, our calling, job number one. It is to show love to other people.
That's right. It's that simple and it's that difficult. Your calling, whatever you are doing in life, is to show God's love to other people.
But this is not a "have to," kind of thing, you know, like when you were a child and your parents told you to do your homework; "Ah, Mom, do I have to?" This isn't a requirement that means difficulty and drudgery. It's a "get to" kind of thing; a joyful pursuit that permeates everything you do and every situation in which you find yourself. It doesn't mean emptying yourself out; it means sharing the overflow of love you've been given. You see, we love others because we have been loved so lavishly by God. In Jesus Christ, you have been called God's friend. Now you get to befriend others. You get to pour love and care into their lives. That's your job, your calling. It's your vocation.
Jesus said it this way, "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). In other words, because of your love, people will see God's love for them. And God's love for you in Christ is the source and the resource for that kind of life, in the midst of all that you've got going on right now!
But that wonderful calling can become buried by a busy life, a distracted life, a life of despair. If you're a parent, you know what I mean. You get so caught up in keeping up, so much so that you forget your main purpose is to love your kids, to lead your kids! The list of things to do grows long, the messes around the house overwhelm, task after task can take you away from the reason you had children in the first place. You lose your focus on your purpose.
And it's not just parents. You may be a business person who gets so distracted by the hectic details of your daily work that you forget about the customer. You may get so caught up in yourself; your own success, your own ambition, your own accomplishments, your own failures, your own life; that you lose sight of the people you're in business to serve.
You may get so tired; tired of the daily grind, tired of unkind people, tired of struggle after struggle; that your true calling is lost in a fog of despair.
Walter Wangerin, Jr. tells the story of two workers in his book, Ragman and Other Cries of Faith. The workers were gas station attendants. Each had a completely different attitude toward things that yielded vastly different results. The first he met on a cold and rainy night. Wangerin was filling his car with gas when the gas station attendant came out to meet him. It was pouring rain and the man was there to help. Wangerin said, "I hit seventeen bucks on the penny, capped the pipe, handed him the bills, and watched while he folded them into his roll. He did not solve some terrible trouble of mine. Nor did he save me from disaster or fix something I couldn't fix. Nevertheless, this attendant did the extraordinary. He shook my hand. He smiled one more time, and to me he said, 'Thank you.'"
Wangerin slid back into his car with a smile on his face and rain dripping from his chin. His son asked him, "Why are you smiling?" Wangerin realized why. He said, "That fellow had built me up. He edified me."
But then he recalled the second attendant. After filling up his tank he ventured into the payment booth where the attendant sat staring at her desk. He held out his money to pay.
Without looking at him she said, "Whadda-ya want me to do with that?" Wangerin recalled: "I was, it seemed, an intrusion in her life. She snapped the bills from my hand and bedded them in the slots of her register. I stood there too long, I think. She said, 'Your car stuck? You waiting for something?' I slid disquieted into the car and I sat a while. Demolition. Sadness had made me sad. The day had been torn down utterly."
Here's the tale of two lives, right? On one hand, the true calling, the genuine vocation of a person was accomplished on a rainy night at a gas station. On the other hand, a person's real work, her actual job, became lost in drudgery and despair. Does that ever happen to you?
Jesus said, "A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35).
Let me say it another way; God's love edifies. It gives life. And you, my friend, are in the people business. You've been placed on this earth to share what people need most: enduring, true, life-edifying, divine love. You have been freed from a task-driven, striving-for-self-worth existence. God has called you His own. He has declared you precious in His sight and proven it by giving up His Only Son so you could be His own. Now you represent Him here on earth. You give what He has given you.
Back to the gas station attendant. Wangerin drove this point home at the end of the story. To the reader he asks, "You say, 'but how can I serve the Lord? Anyone can do what I do.' But I say to you, 'Every time you meet another human being you have the opportunity. It's a chance at holiness. For you will do one of two things. Either you will build him up or you will tear him down. There are no useless, minor meetings. There are no dead-end jobs. There are no pointless lives. Swallow your sorrows; forget your grievances and all the hurt your poor life has sustained. Turn your face truly to the human before you and let her, for one pure moment, shine. Think her important, and then she will suspect that she is fashioned of God.'"
And that's the point of our text today; choose life.
That's what Moses was communicating to the crowds as they were preparing to finish their journey into the wilderness after being freed from slavery in Egypt. They would be entering a new land and God wanted to show the world something new. Instead of reinforcing the drudgery, distraction, and despair that the world brings; instead of creating more bad news by leading destructive lives, God wanted His people to be life-givers.
So Moses called out to the people and said, "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. ... Now choose life, 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. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
In Moses' day, people worshipped all sorts of false gods and in doing so they tore other people down so as to build themselves up. They abused and disregarded the poor. They debased themselves in harmful and immoral practices. They even sacrificed their children on bloody altars; all in their minds to please God. But the true God does not want that for anyone. He wanted people to see that they could be life-sharers of God-given life; building others up, bringing light to darkness, and hope to despair because the true God is a God of grace, mercy, and rescue. He seeks and He saves.
So Moses cried out to the people, "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" (Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NIV).
As those blessed with life as a gift, choose life then! Choose to be bearers and bringers of life. Build up. Show love. Bless the people in your life. That's your job. That's your calling. In everything you do, whoever you're with, choose life.
Some great "life-choosers" have gone before us and led the way. David Ogilvy is known as "The Father of Advertising." He was born in 1911 and started his career by selling cook stoves door to door in England. He pressed on and ended up becoming the leader of his own New York advertising firm as advertising principles were just emerging. What was Ogilvy's secret to success? He was committed to treating people well. He emphasized that consumers were not to be looked down upon. They were not the enemy. In fact, he said the consumer is "your wife. Don't insult her intelligence, and don't shock her." Ogilvy insisted on telling the truth and meeting the needs of customers. He chose life.
And what about Joe Girard? He is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's greatest salesman. What did Joe sell? Cars! That's right, cars. Girard was a car salesman. For nearly fifteen years, he sold an average of six new cars each day. He sold them one at a time to individuals like you and me. What made Joe such a great salesman? Was it his slick approach? Was he a fast-talker? Did he steal customers or sweet-talk people? No. Joe decided to develop strong personal relationships with his customers and to really care about them. He listened to what they needed. He kept in touch. He reached out to them and shared his genuine thoughts and feelings. He did all this to help them when they had problems. Joe chose life and people couldn't stop referring others to him.
Or how about Mary Kay Ash? She took the same path in life. She became frustrated in the workplace after a man she trained was given a promotion instead of her. So she quit her job and started her own business. Her foundational business approach was to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you"-the Golden Rule. She believed in "praising people to success" and she helped women lead a balanced life by putting "Faith first, family second, and career third." She encouraged every person in her company to consider every person precious-as if each person was wearing a sign that read, "Make me feel important." Mary Kay Ash chose life and she blessed millions. You may recognize the name of her company: Mary Kay Cosmetics.
These people knew that their job wasn't just the tasks to be done for the day. Their job was people; caring about people, blessing people, loving people, choosing life.
It's exactly what the Creator of the Universe did for you. Out of everything God had to think and do, He looked at you as if you had a sign on you that said, "Make me feel purposeful, important." His first priority since the creation of the world was to care about you, to bless you, and to love you. Even in our stumbling failure, constant shortcomings, and persistent sin, God chose life. He did it by sending His Son to rescue you. The sacrifice was overwhelming. Jesus paid the price for your sin. He absorbed your brokenness, your thoughtlessness, and your rebellion when He gave His life for you on the cross. But Jesus rose from the dead. He conquered death and every barrier that would separate you from the love of God. As a gift for you, He chose life.
Now you have a delightful job to do. In every task you tackle, at every moment in life, in whatever situation you find yourself, you have a calling, a vocation. You get to bless people. You get to show God's love. You get to elevate the conversation, change the perspective, and bring dignity into a difficult world. You get to live in the life that He gifts you with, love meant for you, love meant for all.
What does it look like? It could be the way you put your work aside and disconnect from your cell phone when you get home so you can pay full attention to your spouse or your kids. It may be the way you serve in your community and pour into people who are forgotten or in need. It may be the simple smile you give to the nurse's aide in your room or the way you don't blow up at the cashier when the line is too long and slow. It may be the way you refuse to be mean when you send email replies to irate people. It may be the kind of way you cheer at your child's ball game and the control you exercise when you get frustrated in traffic. It may be the time you take to pray with a person in need or share the reason for the hope you have.
That's your job. It is your delightful calling. You are in the people business by God's grace. You have a grand purpose. Life chose you when God called your name and made you His own through His Son Jesus Christ. Now you can choose life too. Every week here on The Lutheran Hour, we'll learn how to do this together in Christ.
Moses told God's people the same thing that day when He said, "For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' No. But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it" (Deuteronomy 30:11-14).
St. Paul quotes this text in Romans 10 to assure us God's ultimate saving Word came near in Jesus, that gift of life has been given to all who put their trust in Him and that life was meant to be lived boldly, courageously, now and forever. In Him, by Him, through Him, choose life. You'll be blessed as you do and so will the others in your life too. Count on it. Amen.
Action in Ministry for September 4, 2016
Guest: Suzie Sallee and Claudia Lappe
ANNOUNCER: You're listening to The Lutheran Hour. This is Action in Ministry and today's message focused on an important choice that we make in dealing with others.
SELTZ: That's right, Mark. As Dr. Walt Wangerin, Jr. said in his book, "We were meant to build each other up, to edify;" well, I think the Scripture says that absolutely. We're here to bless. That's what our life is supposed to be about in Christ.
ANNOUNCER: But you know there are so many times when people choose to do just the opposite; instead of building up, they tear others down, they discourage them. Among young people today we would call that bullying. Suzie Sallee has written a booklet titled The Bully; and Claudia Lappe is a junior in high school who's experienced and seen bullying first hand and she's passionate about this issue.
SELTZ: Claudia, let's start with you. In school you have seen some of these things first hand, what's it look like?
LAPPE: Well, a lot of times bullying starts when they're little...
SELTZ: Okay.
LAPPE: ...and when you are little, you don't have a phone or anything to bully with so it happens on the playground, which is where everyone is together. One time I was playing on the playground, we were playing tag and the rules were completely changed to make me lose.
SELTZ: But it sounds like stuff escalates as we get older too so what starts happening as we get older and this bullying keeps going on.
LAPPE: You see when kids get older, everybody gets a phone at some point and it's the dream to get a Smartphone...
SELTZ: Right, right.
LAPPE: ...I don't know how often, but there's always new apps being made for texting and messaging...
SALLEE: That's right.
LAPPE: ...and sharing with each other. These are all new ways for the kids to connect with each other, which is good, but some people use it for bullying.
SELTZ: To come at you.
LAPPE: Yeah, and since they're brand new and happening so fast the adults can't keep up. I'm sorry.
SALLEE: That's right and not every parent has that tracking that they keep on their kid's cell phones and these apps that they will put on to bully these other kids, they can make it anonymous so they don't even know who's doing it.
ANNOUNCER: ...who's doing it.
LAPPE: Exactly.
SALLEE: Right. It just goes on and on. As these kids get older, there is so much on the websites. All they have to do is put in a search on how to bully another person...
SELTZ: There's information there on how to do it.
SALLEE: Absolutely.
LAPPE: Everything's on the internet.
SELTZ: So tell us, what can make it better? How can we begin to stop some of this kind of stuff?
LAPPE: Well, the first thing you've always got to do is tell an adult, specifically a parent, because they're going to support you no matter what.
SELTZ: Right.
ANNOUNCER: Now Suzie, Claudia said that bullying starts when kids are young, when they're little; and your booklet is designed for preschoolers through second grade. Tell us a little bit about the booklet and the approach that you took in that.
SALLEE: It's a powerful little booklet and it's jam packed with a lot of information. David is a very sensitive little boy, a very caring heart, and Billy is kind of an obnoxious little guy.
ANNOUNCER: But you also share an important insight about the bully himself.
SALLEE: Absolutely. As you read on, you can tell that Billy is just not a very happy little boy and so he lashes out. As you read through the booklet, there is not only a powerful message but lots of teachings that God has taught us through Jesus and you've got to read the whole thing to get to the end of it to see how Billy's heart is changed and the powerful part of prayer that David offers up on behalf of Billy.
ANNOUNCER: This booklet can be downloaded for free at our website. You can also order print copies and share those at your child's school, at your church, or in your neighborhood.
SELTZ: Thank you, Suzie, and thank you, Claudia, for coming in and sharing your heart on this very, very difficult issue.
LAPPE: Thanks.
SELTZ: It's going to be a blessing to a lot of folks. That's our Action In Ministry segment today to bless, to empower, and to strengthen your life in Christ for others.
ANNOUNCER: To view or download this content for free go to lutheranhour.org and click on Action In Ministry. That's lutheranhour.org. Or call 1-855-564-6316.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for September 4, 2016
Topic: How Can Christians Cope With Debates and Arguments in the Media?
ANNOUNCER: We are back once again with Pastor Gregory Seltz. I'm Mark Eischer and our listener has this to say. "In listening to the twenty-four-hour news channels, the media, all we hear is this constant bickering nowadays. How should Christians cope with these debates and arguments in the media?"
SELTZ: Mark, there's a whole lot of that going on, isn't there?
ANNOUNCER: Honestly, there are times we're tempted to join right in.
SELTZ: You bring up a good point-and perhaps that is what our listener is getting at. It's easy to be pulled into the vortex of the anxiety and disputes of conflicting opinions about the issues of our day.
ANNOUNCER: Should Christians respond differently to these arguments? What is our role?
SELTZ: That's where the Christian faith is actually counterintuitive, Mark-that's the way God's wisdom manifests itself actually. When it comes to debates, and arguments, and opinions, Jesus always elevated the conversation. He took it to the places it needed to go rather than allowing it to go where the arguers wanted to take it.
ANNOUNCER: Any examples of that?
SELTZ: Take Jesus' approach in the Sermon on the Mount. When He began with the Beatitudes in Matthew, chapter five, He turned the tables on people. He spoke in a way they wouldn't have expected. He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," or "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." Jesus brought that conversation to a new level. He brought God's order and God's thinking into the equation. Then Jesus reflected on the laws. I love it when He led off by saying, "You have heard it said.., but I tell you..." He elevated, changed the conversation.
ANNOUNCER: So, as followers of Christ, you're telling us we don't have to follow the lead of the divisive debates, the destructive bickering. There's another way.
SELTZ: Definitely. This is where Christians need to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves according to Matthew 10. We aren't here to cause offense, but we also aren't here to cave in to the ways of the world.
ANNOUNCER: How should we handle, then, these pervasive arguments we hear in the media?
SELTZ: Let's look at what Jesus did. First, Jesus didn't get pulled into the argument. Do you remember when He was confronted by the Pharisees and He was asked if it was right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?
ANNOUNCER: The Pharisees thought they had him cornered, but He looked at an inscription on a coin and said, "You must give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
SELTZ: You see what Jesus did. Instead of getting pulled into the argument, He elevated the conversation. Suddenly, the people who were trying to trip Him up and cause an argument were speechless and put on the spot about their own citizenship, integrity, and stewardship of life.
ANNOUNCER: Jesus did something similar with the Sadducees when they wanted to prove there was no resurrection from the dead. They brought Him a trick question about a woman who had been the wife and widow of five brothers; and the question is, "Well, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be".
SELTZ: That all takes place in Matthew, chapter 22. There Jesus didn't get pulled into the arguments. He elevated the conversation. When they tried their trickery, He got to the heart of the issue and reinforced the truth of the resurrection of the dead for all.
ANNOUNCER: How should, then, we as Christians elevate the conversation?
SELTZ: This is where prayerful preparation comes in, along with regular reading of God's Word. You do need to be prepared. But when you feel like the context is argumentative, you can interject questions that set people's sights on real issues, the real issues that matter. How can we love people and serve them? What is the best way to do good and shine Christ's light to the world? What actions lead to selflessness instead of a selfish grab for power? How can we be people of integrity and honor?
ANNOUNCER: That could definitely redirect the conversation as well as communicate a message. It bears witness to God's character.
SELTZ: That's the second way Jesus handled divisiveness and arguments. He kept the focus on God's plan of grace. Do you remember even before Pontius Pilate in John, chapter 18, Jesus says, "My kingdom is not of this world"? He always kept the focus on God's plan to seek and save the lost, to meet our real need for forgiveness of sin, a restored relationship with God the Father.
ANNOUNCER: Jesus even refused to be made an earthly king after He fed the 5000.
SELTZ: Jesus kept the focus on God's mission of salvation by grace through faith in His Son, our Savior, Jesus. As arguments fly, we need to remember the eternally, main focus is about reaching people with the Good News of the Gospel, the love of God in Jesus Christ.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Seltz. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music Selections for this program:
"A Mighty Fortress" arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.
"How Clear Is Our Vocation, Lord" From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)
"Where Charity and Love Prevail" From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)
