The choices you make every day will make or break you …

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Yes, God created us with a design to depend on Him. But in the complexity of that design, He created us as creatures with free will, and He actually gave us some very important power …

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline,” 2 Timothy 1:7.

The greatest power given to humankind is the freedom to make choices …

Choices to indulge in sin or obey God …

Choices to chase after worldly things or to pursue holiness …

Choices to join the crowd in cursing Monday mornings, or starting every day thanking God for life …

Choices to love God or not …

Choices to love others or not …

Such choices hold within them great power! Needless to say, the choices you make every day will make you or break you.

Popular pastor and author, Craig Groeschel, writes about an uncomfortable moment where he had to make an instantaneous decision to react negatively or choose to respond differently:

    It’s a fact that “hurt people hurt people.” They usually dislike themselves and criticize others in a misguided effort to validate themselves. If one of these injured souls lobs a criticism grenade in your direction, defuse it with understanding. Part of considering the source is seeking awareness of what that person may be going through.

    One time I was praying during worship, a few moments before preaching. Eyes closed, focusing on God, I felt someone slip a note into my hand. I never saw who it was, but the note was marked “Personal.” I thought to myself, “Someone probably wrote a nice note to encourage me before I preach.” A warm, loving feeling settled over me as I unfolded the paper.

    A moment later, I lost that loving feeling.

    Evidently, the note was from a woman who had tried to see me on Friday, my day off. She took offense at my absence and blasted me with hateful accusations. This happened literally seconds before I was to stand up to preach. In that moment, I had a CHOICE. I could internalize the offense and become demoralized and discouraged. Or I could ask myself, “I wonder what she’s experiencing that caused her to lash out?”

So many of us are so lacking in self-awareness and “other awareness” that we make a lot of bad choices that directly impact our lives, as well as the lives of others. God wants us to live better than that! The power God has given us isn’t to blunder our way through life, but the ability to make good choices IF we put to use the sources God has provided to us to enable our exercise of making choices to be good ones.

Yes, there’s good news in that God hasn’t left us helpless in our freedom to make choices. Instead, there is an entire repertoire of resources available to us to help us be good decision-makers. This toolbox of resources includes:

  • The Bible – “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work,” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
  • Prayer. Prayer is conversation with God, and we have unimpeded access to talk directly with the Creator of all things about ANYTHING, and about ANY choice we need to make.
  • The Holy Spirit – As Christians, the Holy Spirit literally dwells in us and is ever present to provide direction and to help us understand the way and will of God. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth …” John 16:13a.
  • The gift of wisdom – “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking,” James 1:5.
  • The Church – When God rescued us from sin and spiritual death, and raised us to walk in newness of life, He adopted us into His family, the Church. We have brothers and sisters in God’s family, including spiritual leaders called by God, who are available to us for counsel and encouragement. “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success,” Proverbs 15:22.

God has given to us the remarkable freedom to make our own choices. Are you consistently using all the resources God has provided you to make good, wise, and God-honoring choices?

Scotty