"The Lady or the Tiger" is a classic story of choices. Standing in the arena facing two doors the young man had to choose. One led to a beautiful woman who would become his wife. The other to a tiger and certain death. The dilemma was that he had to choose, but didn't know which door led to life and which to death. The short story, published in 1882 by Frank Stockton, contained a twist in that the young man’s lover knew the answer, but did she want him to live without her? The story ended without an answer.

Life is like that. We face many choices not knowing the outcome. But the biggest dilemma of life has an obvious one. At the end of his life Moses explained Israel’s options in very clear, but stark, terms; the choice between life and death (Deuteronomy 30:19). They could choose obedience, which led to life, or disobedience, which led to death (v20). It can't get any simpler than that!

Yet we insist on making it more complicated! Not liking just two options, we convince ourselves there are many; thinking we get to create our own doors. There’s only one (John 14:6). Or we attempt to open both doors at the same time, as if we can handle both options. "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money" (Luke 16:13). We know what choice God wants us to make. Why not choose life?