Choices. We, as free-thinking, free-willed individuals, make them all the time. This choice-process for each new day usually starts the previous night when we climb into bed and decide what time the alarm clock should be set for the following morning. When that alarm sounds, our feet hit the floor and we jump right into practical decision-making mode without much thought as these are decisions that we make daily. Will we have breakfast before or after showering? Do we even need to shower? What we will wear? In
what order do we need to accomplish items on our ‘to-do’ list to maximize our productivity? And on and on it goes as we move throughout our day until we can return home, weary and worn out from the days’ activities, to fall once more into bed where we make the last decision of the day and set the alarm clock for the following morning so we can begin the routine all over again.
While every choice we make will have either a positive or a negative consequence to it, not all of the choices we make will have life-altering implications attached to them, while some will.
When we were children, the majority of our decisions were made for us. Then as we moved into adulthood, we made more decisions on our own. Most of the time, we did so consciously, with purpose; yet sometimes, when afraid to make a decision, we
chose to ignore committing to a firm decision thereby making a choice – often the incorrect one - by our silence. The older we got, the more ‘grown-up’decisions we had to face, and sadly, would at times make the wrong choice, usually when we chose to ignore the hazards of risky behavior and instead believed that ‘it’ (whatever that means to you) could never happen to us. (Italways happens to the other guy,
right?)
And the resulting negative consequences of ‘it’ can be quite painful to live with. Too often in our decision-making process, we think that the choices we make only affect us and not anyone else. As such, we recklessly pursue selfish wants, all the while ignoring everything and everyone else except the attainment of our desires. It isn’t until afterward that we become aware of how others were affected by our poor choice. As a rule, the closer in relationship these others are to us, the greater the affect our decisions have on them.
Living with this painful outcome can be quite uncomfortable. While it is better to face the consequences of our actions, some people refuse to acknowledge it in the hope that if they deny its existence, the pain will disappear. Others spend large amounts of time and energy pining over what could have been – what should have been - and wishing that the wrong choice hadn’t been made so that they would then not have to deal with the unwanted changes in their once-comfortable world.
Neither of these ways are healthy ways to deal with the resulting pain. Thankfully, God has provided a way for us to positively deal with the negative choices either we, or others, have made.
Choose to acknowledge that you are in pain. Psalm 69:29 (MSG) “I’m hurt and in
pain;”
Choose to give your pain to God. Psalm 55:22 (NIV) “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”
Choose to forgive whoever brought about this pain, whether it’s yourself or someone else. Mark 11:26 (NASB) “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”
Choose to live in the hope of God’s promise that good will come. Romans 8:28 (NIV) “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Perhaps life may not have turned out as you dreamed it would when you were a child. That does not mean that it still cannot be good. With God in charge of your life, while it will be different than you hoped for years ago, it will be far better than you could ever imagine. The choice is yours. He’s waiting for you.
(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)
what order do we need to accomplish items on our ‘to-do’ list to maximize our productivity? And on and on it goes as we move throughout our day until we can return home, weary and worn out from the days’ activities, to fall once more into bed where we make the last decision of the day and set the alarm clock for the following morning so we can begin the routine all over again.
While every choice we make will have either a positive or a negative consequence to it, not all of the choices we make will have life-altering implications attached to them, while some will.
When we were children, the majority of our decisions were made for us. Then as we moved into adulthood, we made more decisions on our own. Most of the time, we did so consciously, with purpose; yet sometimes, when afraid to make a decision, we
chose to ignore committing to a firm decision thereby making a choice – often the incorrect one - by our silence. The older we got, the more ‘grown-up’decisions we had to face, and sadly, would at times make the wrong choice, usually when we chose to ignore the hazards of risky behavior and instead believed that ‘it’ (whatever that means to you) could never happen to us. (Italways happens to the other guy,
right?)
And the resulting negative consequences of ‘it’ can be quite painful to live with. Too often in our decision-making process, we think that the choices we make only affect us and not anyone else. As such, we recklessly pursue selfish wants, all the while ignoring everything and everyone else except the attainment of our desires. It isn’t until afterward that we become aware of how others were affected by our poor choice. As a rule, the closer in relationship these others are to us, the greater the affect our decisions have on them.
Living with this painful outcome can be quite uncomfortable. While it is better to face the consequences of our actions, some people refuse to acknowledge it in the hope that if they deny its existence, the pain will disappear. Others spend large amounts of time and energy pining over what could have been – what should have been - and wishing that the wrong choice hadn’t been made so that they would then not have to deal with the unwanted changes in their once-comfortable world.
Neither of these ways are healthy ways to deal with the resulting pain. Thankfully, God has provided a way for us to positively deal with the negative choices either we, or others, have made.
Choose to acknowledge that you are in pain. Psalm 69:29 (MSG) “I’m hurt and in
pain;”
Choose to give your pain to God. Psalm 55:22 (NIV) “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”
Choose to forgive whoever brought about this pain, whether it’s yourself or someone else. Mark 11:26 (NASB) “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”
Choose to live in the hope of God’s promise that good will come. Romans 8:28 (NIV) “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Perhaps life may not have turned out as you dreamed it would when you were a child. That does not mean that it still cannot be good. With God in charge of your life, while it will be different than you hoped for years ago, it will be far better than you could ever imagine. The choice is yours. He’s waiting for you.
(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)
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