What if I told you that the key to life was just one word? Would you believe it? Could you guess the word?

I believe most, if not all, of humanity has often wondered what that key is. The fact is most who have searched for the key have never found it because they have gone down the wrong path looking for it. Without the truth to instruct them, they invariably realize the key they’ve pursued has failed to open the door to life.

So just what is that key? I believe we can find it over and over in God’s Word, but perhaps the following verses are as plain as it can be made:

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying Him, and committing yourself firmly to Him. This is the key to your life…” —Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Did you catch that? The key to life is a choice. And that choice is a deliberate decision: “loving the Lord your God, obeying Him, and committing yourself firmly to Him.”

It’s really that simple. A choice.

But to be honest, while simple, it is quite hard, as far as I’ve discovered — hard because we live in a difficult, broken world.

This “hard” is realized each day because, while we may make this choice in the morning, by noon, or even earlier, the enemy (Satan) has likely tempted us to forget that choice. And because we are frail and our “spirit is willing but our flesh is weak,” we may fall, again and again.

But God recognized this trait of humanity. He understood that “the godly may trip seven times, but he will get up again” (Prov. 24:16). To be clear, this is not because the godly are good, or better, or stronger than others, but rather because God promised that “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).

In my own life, I have found myself failing and falling way more often than succeeding. Why is this? I believe it’s because we are truly engaged in the war of the ages. It has been going on since the beginning of time — “for we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

I have often met to discuss God, the Bible, and spiritual matters with friends who question, scoff at, or even reject God. My heart is often heavy for them. But I believe if they are honest with themselves, they too will admit that they are engaged in an inner struggle — one that they most likely cannot understand or explain. Yet God did not desire us to be ignorant concerning life or these deep personal struggles. Because God “is not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9).

But God is also not one to demand or force someone to do something they do not want to do. And so we come back to that simple truth:

The key to life is a choice.

And it’s our decision. No one else’s. But even though we choose God once and for all for our eternal destination (Heaven), we must also continuously choose God moment by moment in order to have the “rich and satisfying life” that Jesus promised (John 10:10).

So choose God — and live!