Choices

Choices:

• The evening is almost over, everyone is settled, now it's time to think about tomorrow:  check your calendar; decide what to wear: shoes, bag, accessories, etc.; OR, you can plant your rear end on the couch and scramble to get everything together in the morning?
• If it's the weekend: where to go; who should to go with; how long should I stay, make groceries, do laundry; OR, you can stay home and chill?
• It's time to eat:  should you get no fat, low fat, all the fat with, seasoning, sauce and supersize

Do you realize that you are where you are right now (in most cases) based upon the choices you made months, even years ago?  I know it may not seem like it and/or you may not want to accept it, but think about it.

• If you are the same size you were for the last two years it is more than likely because you have followed the same regimen.  If you have gained weight is it because you had less or no exercise; started eating junk food, a change or addition in medication.  Of course there are exceptions to the rule, but you get my point.
• You were denied the loan because of your credit score.  Over the past year(s) or so, you failed to pay your bills on time (perhaps you wanted to but couldn't for reasons beyond your control or perhaps you lacked the discipline).  You would love to have a new car, but you will have to drive your bucket until you repair your damaged credit.
• When you graduated high school, you decided to go straight to college and get your degree but your best friend decided to get a job.  You have both worked consistently since graduating but last year you both got laid off.  You were able to find alternative work in your field of training, however, your friend is still looking because it's a bit more challenging for 40 year olds with no degree.

Choices: our lives will be full of them until we transition to the next life (life eternal).  Believe it or not where we spend eternity will be based upon the choices we have made during our lifetime.  We can be:

• Bitter or Better:  someone hurt you deeply, you can make a decision to forgive them and move on (whether they apologize or not) or you can re-live the unfortunate occurrence over and over becoming angrier every time you think about it.
• Victim or Victor:  you lost everything you had for reasons beyond your control (or maybe you caused some of the lost because of poor decisions).  You can blame yo' "momma-'nem", shut everyone off, curl up in a fetal position in your bed, pull the cover over your head and disappear.  Or, you can make the decision that this is the perfect time to start all over again.  You come up with a strategic "come back" plan, take the first job that comes along -- even though you are overqualified and you start to work on that dream (writing your book(s), perfecting your recipe(s), painting, taking night or on-line classes toward your degree, etc.).  Every morning that you wake up you look yourself in the mirror and declare:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me;

I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus;

I am fearfully and wonderfully made,

And any other declarative scripture that gives you strength for your journey

• Sickly or Healthy:  Many of the common diseases that people have are preventable. For example:

You can avoid STDs by living a celibate or monogamous life, whatever is appropriate in your case;

You can avoid substance abuse by refraining from substances especially if substance abuse is a weakness in your family line (e.g. alcohol, drugs, prescription drugs). If you are taking more of a drug than prescribed and/or if you are taking it for reasons other than what it was prescribed for you can open the door to substance abuse as a "script addict".

It is highly possible to avoid heart disease by decreasing the amount of fat you consume, eating heart healthy foods, developing an exercise plan that works for you and the cessation of smoking. I am no expert, but if you smoke you can seek help from an expert.  He can be reached on the mainline 24/7, just call him up and tell Him what you want.  Seriously.  In addition you can try cutting back slowly by decreasing the number of cigarettes you smoke per day.

You get the point :)

• Above and NOT beneath:  No matter the circumstance, you can make a choice to rise above it (them). You are not your circumstances

God created mankind with a free will of choice:

But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” (Genesis 2:16, 17 NLT)

As much as God loves and wants to help us, if we reject His help, He will not superimpose His will over ours, not because he can't but because he respects order.  The order in this case is our free will of choice.

Did you know that making no decision is still a decision?  In essence you have decided not to do anything.  Living on the fence is dangerous because you can fall.  It's pointless to live with one foot in (your relationship with God) and one foot out (of your relationship with God).  God will not be played; He will not be second in your life, it's all of Him or nothing.

You think I'm playing?  Check this out:

“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! (Revelation 3:15, 16 NLT).

It doesn't take any real effort to "settle"; be like everybody else and live a boring mundane life.  It does, however, take more effort and courage to do something different, think outside the box, live a holy and separated life, live in integrity, be the best you can be.  It's not that it's hard or impossible, it's just easier not to.

When you chose God, you get Him and all the fringe benefits of living as a son or daughter of God, His Promises.  You can find them all in His Word.

In His Humble Excellence

Tan