Listen: Chris Witts presents Morning Devotions.
By Chris WittsThursday 22 Apr 2021Morning Devotions with Chris WittsDevotionsReading Time: 5 minutes
Which job should you take? What car should you buy? Should you ask him to marry you? Are you ready for another baby? Is this house right for you, or should you keep looking before you make an offer?
Life is full of hard choices, and the bigger they are and the more options we have, the harder they get. Making choices and decisions are a part of life. Simply put, the way life unfolds, with its twists and turns, starts and stops, requires us to make choices and decisions every step of the way.
Some people have been burned in the past by poor choices and decisions and are afraid to, once again, risk making a bad choice or decision. So they may do nothing hoping the change will work itself out, or go away, or that somebody else will take care of what needs to be done.
Consider your situation
I say get as much information as you can about your situation. You can’t find the confidence to decide when you know so little about what you are faced with. Just like any news reporter, ask the five Ws—what, who, when, where, and why:
- What is the situation?
- Who are the people involved?
- When did this happen?
- Where is this leading?
- Why are you in this situation?
You always have the chance to make better decisions in the future.
These are just some of the possible questions to ask to know more about your situation. This is important. Oftentimes, the reason for indecision is the lack of information about a situation. Now that you have made a decision, be ready to face its consequences: good and bad. It may take you to a place of promise or to a land of problems.
But the important thing is that you have chosen to live your life instead of remaining a bystander or a passive audience to your own life. Whether it is the right decision or not, only time can tell. But don’t regret it whatever the outcome. Instead, learn from it and remember that you always have the chance to make better decisions in the future.
Make your own choices
Every one of us needs to be brave enough to make our own choices and, knowing the consequences of those choices, be strong enough to live with those consequences, and be happy with their choices. Sometimes we think that the big choices, life’s decisions, are the most important. In fact it’s the little things we do every day that make the difference over the long-term—things as simple as choosing what to work on today or how we will treat ourselves and others.
Don’t let someone else’s wants guide your life, the freedom of choice lies within us all.
The freedom of choice lies within us all.
Rev. Billy Graham, who died at his home in North Carolina on 21 February 2018 at the age of 99, was among the most influential leaders of the 20th Century. Billy Graham’s life was shaped in a big way by the choices he made. Billy Graham once wisely said, “If you don’t make a decision, then time will make it for you, and time will always side against you.”
People often ask, What is the purpose of life? Let me answer in a nutshell: This life is preparation for the next. God wants you to practice on Earth what you’ll do forever in eternity. C.S. Lewis said: “There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, Thy will be done, and those to whom God says, All right, then, have it your way”. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn’t going to make sense.
Your life isn’t an accident. You have a destiny, one that only you can complete. You will live forever in the presence or absence of God, reaping the consequences of your choices and actions on earth (Matthew 25:46). This is why Billy Graham said, “The strongest principle of life and blessings lies in our choice.”
Use your power of choice
Every day, each of us is faced with numerous choices. God has given us the power of choice. Our destiny is our choice. The Bible says, “All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old” (Psalm 139:16). Life is a series of problems and sufferings: The reason for this is that God is more interested in our character than our comfort.
You have the power of choice today. What are you going to choose?
Albert Einstein said, “God did not create evil. Just as darkness is the absence of light, evil is the absence of God.” Some people today do not wish to accept the responsibility for their actions. They blame society, upbringing, government and circumstances. But Adam sinned in a perfect environment under perfect circumstances. We can’t blame it all on somebody else. We must accept the blame ourselves for our choice.
You have the power of choice today. What are you going to choose?
Viktor Frankl, in his book Man’s Search for Meaning, describes the reactions of two brothers with the same heredity, the same environment, in the same concentration camp under the Nazis. One became a saint and the other a swine. Frankl tells us the reason why. He said, “Each man has within him the power to choose how he will react to any given situation.” The greatest mistake that people make is they make decisions without the help and guidance of God.
There are moments in our lives when we find ourselves at a crossroads. The choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days. There may be times we make choices that cause our path to become tough, confusing and uncertain. Our path seems like a series of hills and valleys—there is never any balance.
When this happens, we should stop and examine the choices we made that have taken us down this path. We should evaluate those choices and identify alternatives or new choices that will bring us back to our true path—the one we originally created.
Once again the Bible says :
- “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.” – Proverbs 2:6
- “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6