My Choices Have Consequences

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Transcript

“In every single thing you do, you are choosing a direction. Your life is a product of choices.” That’s a quote from Dr Kathleen Hall. Nelson Mandela said something similar: “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.

Well, each day we’re faced with choices. We make thousands of decisions about our choices, big and small, starting from the time we wake up in the morning. Now, a decision can be about small things, what to wear or big things like where to live and whether to have, children or not. So no matter how big or small, everyone’s got the right to make these decisions for themselves. Now no one can take that right away from you. So my question today is, where are you today in life? Are you where you want to be? Are you happy? Are you sad? Do you really care?

So where you are is a direct result of the choices you’ve made up to this point in your life. And at this time, some choices might seem inconsequential, while others are major life choices. But in the end, all these choices form together to create the person you are today and the life you live. So what is a good choice? Good choices are decisions that keep you heading in the right direction. Bad choices, on the other hand, end up being counterproductive and can quickly end up spiraling into stress, despair, and confusion.

And over time, even our smallest decisions can cause big disruptions if we’re not paying close enough attention. So whatever type of decision you’re facing, did you know there is information in the Bible about how to make the right choice, because God understands that our decisions, whether they’re big or small, can be overwhelming. Here’s a couple of tips. First of all, God gave us the gift of choice. You might wonder why humans can make any choice at all. God gave us each a mind to think with reason in the hope that we’ll follow Him.

The ability to choose

Throughout the Bible we see countless examples of God’s children not making the right choices. For example, he gave Adam and Eve a choice to eat from the trees in the Garden of Eden, except the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and he gave David the choice to kill Saul or allow him to live. Why didn’t God program us to always make choices that matched up to what He wants? The reason is because God honours our free will.

He wanted to give us the opportunity to make the conscious choice to come to Him in our own way, so we understand the magnitude of how wonderful faith is. He didn’t force us to love Him, rather, He trusted that we would find Him and build a desire to make choices that honour Him. Now it’s not always easy to know what God wants us to do when we’re faced with a difficult decision, but the choice is always ours to make. While God gave us a free will, that doesn’t mean He won’t help us to make the right choices if we ask.

There’s a great verse in Proverbs chapter 3, verse 5 to 6 in the Old Testament. Place your trust in the eternal. Rely on Him completely and never depend upon your own ideas and inventions. Give him the credit for everything you accomplish, and he will smooth out and straighten the road that lies ahead. And don’t think you can decide on your own what is right and what is wrong.

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God has a great plan for us, and with His advice we can become the best people we can be. Sit down and pray for God to give you guidance on a specific problem. Keep your ears and eyes open. And here’s another tip – Don’t be too hard on yourself, because everyone makes bad decisions sometimes. We get anxious, don’t we, about the choices we make, because we don’t want to mess up our lives down the line.

The truth is though that we’re all going to make mistakes. We’re so lucky to have a Lord who will provide us with the grace and mercy when we choose the wrong path. Again, the Bible says in Hebrews 4:16, Let’s come boldly to the throne of our gracious God, because there we will receive His mercy. We’ll find grace to help us when we need it most.

God loves us and will forgive us for the mistakes we make as long as we ask Him. So don’t rip yourself apart with fear over making the wrong choice, because God is going to still walk by you either way. So making the right choice isn’t always easy. It can be hard to figure out which way God wants us to go in life.

But He has provided us with many different tools to help lighten that burden through speaking with God, reading the Bible, talking with a trusted friend and some wise people. You will be able to see a little clearer the way God wants you to move.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, I see that my choices do have consequences. I want to be wise, Lord, in everyday decisions, the big and the small. Will you help me today? I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Source:
“6 Ways God Can Help You Make the Right Decision”, Megan Bailey, www.beliefnet.com