Choices

Choices, choices, choices! Our whole life is consumed by choices. Each day God chooses to let us live, we will make choices in every aspect of our lives.

God made us in his image. He gave us the ability to make our own choices. He did not create us to be like robots. We have the ability to choose a life, which honors and glorifies Him, or choose a life, which is disobedient and disappointing to God.

We can choose to be happy and positive, or grumpy and negative. We can choose to make a life better for those we come in contact with, or we can choose to make life difficult for those around us. The choice is ours.

Every day we have to choose how we will deal with our circumstances- good and bad. Good circumstances in our lives make us happy. The unplanned and unwanted circumstances in our lives are the challenges. There are two ways we can deal with the challenges of bad circumstances. We can worry and “fret” and be negative, or we can trust God and let him work things out for our good. The author was given a bookmarker with a quote from the well- known Christian author, Richard Exley, he rightly said, “ We can hug our hurts and make a shrine out of our sorrows, or we can offer them to God as a sacrifice of praise.” The choice is ours.

The choices we make today produce the consequences we must face tomorrow. We must make wise choices today in order not to reap bad circumstances later. Paul says, in Galatians 6:7, “Whatsoever a man sows, that he will also reap.” We must choose wisely because often our choices have a reach and impact we could never imagine.

We are all human. None of us are perfect. Some of our choices will be good and some will be bad. Our wise choices will make happier lives for ourselves, and those around us. Bad choices can ruin lives. The important thing to remember is to learn from our bad choices, and not repeat the same mistakes. We must choose to accept the consequences of our actions, and resolve to make the future better.

We cannot under-estimate the impact of our choices. Even a small choice can produce lifelong consequences for good or bad. My own Mother’s act of childhood disobedience to her Father’s orders not to climb a huge tree in their yard forever changed her ability to play the violin. Her wrist was badly broken. After the fall, she could never hold the violin properly. She had to choose piano for her musical instrument.

Many lives can be changed forever by a choice to murder, drive drunk, use drugs, commit adultery, fornification, lie, and steal.

The author believes the three most important of life’s choices are the following:

#1. The choice of the direction and focus of our lives.

# 2. The choice of a career.

# 3. The choice of a marriage partner.

A mistake in any of these three major choices can have devastating consequences. Therefore we need to carefully and diligently seek the wisest possible choices in these important areas in our lives.

What is the formula for making wise choices? We must read God’s word. King Solomon says in Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”. Wisdom comes from the Lord.

God has promised in his word to give us wisdom in our choices, if we ask Him. James, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples says, In James 1:5, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given him”. Prayerful reading and studying God’s Word leads to wise choices.