The Choices You Make
“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...”(Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT)
Every day, each of us makes a multitude of choices that will impact our lives, either positively or negatively. From minor choices to major choices. From easy choices to more difficult choices. Regardless of how small or significant you think they are, every choice you make will lead you on a certain path and towards a certain destination. Some will lead you into success, while others will lead you down a road of failure and regret. Each choice we make, individually or collectively, alters the direction of our lives. God has given us this special gift called choice. This is what distinguishes us from all other forms of life.
Accompanied with the gift of choice are certain rights and freedoms we must understand. Through choice, we can determine how much money we make. We can determine the health of our bodies and the quality of our relationships. Through this powerful gift of choice, many wonderful blessings can unfold. You can even determine where you spend eternity. Through choice, you can stay, or move forward. Fulfill your dream or continue on a mundane job. Hold on to the past, or embrace a beautiful future. Sometimes one choice can affect your entire life. Other times, it's a series of repeated choices that you make that create your reality. For example, you don't just put on thirty pounds from one choice. You don't just come into debt because of one choice. Relationships usually don't fall apart overnight. Where you are is because of repeated unhealthy, sometimes unconscious decisions made day after day that finally creates the sum total of your present conditions.
Our lives are not a mystery. It's not your parent's, teacher's, spouse's, or boss's fault. Nothing happens by chance; it happens by choice. It's not a demon tormenting you; it's a decision. Life is really quite simple: if we want our lives to prosper and live a quality successful life, all we have to do is make choices that take us toward that outcome. Even if something unfortunate happened to you, it's still your choice in how you deal with it. You can use it to make you bitter or better. Don't make choices that limit you. Get more information. Ask God for wisdom and discernment. Weigh things out. It's all up to you. Heaven and earth is standing at attention, waiting for you to make the right choice. I leave you with this powerful quote, "There's a choice you have to make in everything you do, so keep in mind that at the end, the choice you make, makes you." - Anonymous.
- Pastor John Barton