"I didn't have a choice!"

That's what basketball player Antonio Davis said yesterday, in defense of his actions Wednesday night. Wednesday, the New York Knicks basketball player entered the stands during a game in Chicago and confronted a man who Davis believed was harassing his wife. Though eyewitness reports of the incident are inconclusive, it sounds like Davis threw no punches, but instead questioned the man in question until security officials arrived.

On Thursday, the NBA announced a five game suspension for Davis. As you might imagine, the league would like its players to stay on the court during games, and not respond to things going on among the crowd.

All of this resulted in Davis stating that "I had no choice," but to "protect my family."

Oh yes you did, Antonio Davis.

To say that you had no choice is to say that you do not have the capability of deciding between two courses of action. To say that you had no choice is to assume that your course of action was determined before the incident began, and that you simply did what you "had" to do, because it was the "only" thing to do.

Not true.

Now, am I being critical of Davis' action? No. But maybe critical of his wordsmithing.

We all make choices, every day. Those choices are ours to make. I got up today at 6:09 a.m. (precisely when the snooze button reminded me that I had pressed it once nine minutes earlier.) I got out of bed to begin preparing for my day of work. So, I had no choice but to get up, because I have to go to work, right?

Wrong. I don't have to go, and you don't either. You can choose to call in sick, to take a vacation day, or just simply skip. Your choice, no pre-programmed script that you must follow.

You say, "But if I skip work, it will count against me in some way."

True enough, but still your choice. So is paying taxes, wearing clothes when you leave the house, driving a certain speed limit, and such. If you would prefer driving 110 miles per hour, naked, speeding away from the Internal Revenue Service officer, that's certainly your choice. (I would prefer you stay out of my neighborhood, however.)

Antonio Davis had a choice. He chose a course of action that he knew beyond any doubt would lead to the consequence of suspension and lost wages. On the other hand, he came to the aid of his wife, which was noble despite the rule-breaking.

It is a good reminder that most all of the choices we make have consequences. Some good, and some bad. In the end, we have to live with the decisions we make, while living under the authority of God and his standard.