When we choose to bring our brokenness to Jesus, we will see something beautiful. #theloriclineshow Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!     ~~~   Imagine you could start each day with someone showing you two doors. Behind door number one is something beautiful. Behind door number two is chaos. You get to choose which door you walk into. Which would you choose? The obvious choice, you would think, would be to choose something beautiful, right? Of course! Beauty is what we desire. Beauty is what we long for. But do you know what I’ve discovered in my own life? There are days, more than I want to admit, that I choose door number two. I choose chaos over something beautiful. Think about it. Do you do the same? What are you choosing to see right now? You may say, ‘well Lori I’m not choosing anything. This world is simply IN chaos. This day is giving me sickness, death, pain, struggle and an election year.’ Yes, no doubt this world is full of chaos and we have so much coming at us, we can still choose beautiful. But how do we do that? Romans 8:5-6 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Do you see the two doors? One is flesh and one is spirit. When we live by the flesh, our minds are set and fixed on fleshly desires. Behind that door is anger, hate, division, death and chaos. We’ll see it all around us. But, when we live by the spirit, not just any spirit, the spirit of the living God, we see beautiful things, even in the midst of chaos. God opens our eyes and gives us the ability to desire and do what is good, to focus on what is lovely and to see what is beautiful. In that place, there is life and peace. I cannot choose this on my own and neither can you. The pull of chaos is too strong. Often the roots of our own internal chaos and brokenness can lead us to crave chaos, be comfortable IN it, create it and even embrace it! If we are not made new by the saving grace of Jesus and allow our minds to be renewed by the Holy Spirit on a daily basis, the lure will be too great. We will choose chaos over what is beautiful. We’ll add to it by pouring gasoline on the dumpster fires of life burning around us instead of walking IN the garden, full of peace, quenching those fires with the living water that flows freely through us. Choosing beautiful is putting ON Christ. (Romans 13:14) It’s walking by the spirit. (Galatians 5:16) And starting each day, before you begin to scroll or stroll through it, putting ON the new self. (Ephesians 4:24) Putting on Christ leads us to see what He sees. We can move through the chaos of the day, not focused on all the things, but seeing the hearts that so desperately need a savior. That’s been the root cause of chaos since the garden and it’s the only cure. When the peace of Christ rules my heart, circumstances around me won’t. It’s that simple. It’s not easy, but behind that door IS joy, life, peace and something beautiful. That’s the truth. What will you choose today? Bring the brokenness of your life and this day to Jesus. When you do, no matter what surrounds you, you will see something beautiful. I’m Lori Cline.