As kids we loved to spin around in office chairs. We would see how fast we could spin and for how long. It was free entertainment. But as an adult have you tried to do the same thing? If you have, you either did not last very long or fell over in your chair. You realized it was not a good idea to spin in circles anymore and probably have not tried it again. So why as adults do we let our lives keep spinning out of control when we know it is going to make us sick and eventually fall over? I am tired of my life spinning in circles and my home looking like someone was spinning it in circles. It is time for a change and that change is a change of mind.
Please join me for a journey that will take us from "I will try" to "I will choose." We can no longer say I will try to spend time with God, I will try to exercise, I will try to lose weight, I will try to take better care of my home. Those words have become a crutch, a false sense of accomplishment. As long as we say, "I am trying," we don't feel as bad for not picking up the Bible or not exercising. We fool ourselves into feeling okay because we wanted to do the right thing.
Reality #1 is that we are making choices everyday whether we acknowledge that fact or not. We choose what we will do first thing in the morning: spend time in prayer or check on the latest headlines or maybe just go straight into the day. But that is just one choice, right? So if we choose anything but starting our day with God, it is okay because I tried or I will try to get to it later. But how many other choices will be affected that day because I chose not to pray. For the whole month, you have chosen not to exercise. You always feel tired and maybe depressed. Would choosing to exercise help? You choose not to put up the laundry again. The next day, you cannot find the matching top and your day begins stressed. Our choices are crucial and if we can change our mind set from "I will try" to "I will choose" or "What will I choose" then we become much more aware of our choices.
Reality #2 is the place you are in your life is a result of the choices you have made. Now I know you are already arguing with me on this one. Yes there are some things that happen to us that we do not choose. You did not choose to lose a loved one, to have cancer, for a loved one to have lifetime illness, to be physically abused, to be raped, to lose your job suddenly, to lose your savings in the stock market, for your child to rebel. None of us choose any of those things in our lives, but we did choose our response and some of our choices before a tragedy or event influence how we get through them. And I hope you have made the choice to have Christ as the Lord of your life. There is no other choice more important. If you haven't please email me and let me share with you or talk to a friend or find a local church. If you have, I am rejoicing with you in that choice. But now you are dealing maybe with choices prior to that decision or choices after that did not honor that decision. Over the next several blogs, we will be looking at those choices.
Reality #3 is that our choices affect others around us. It may be friends, a spouse, children, parents, coworkers or sometimes even a stranger. Our choices in our spiritual life, in our physical health and in our home influence many. It may be someone seeing you choose something ungodly. It may be you losing your temper because of other choices that day. It may be that your health is so poor because of your choices, you cannot help anyone else. It may be influencing a child or a friend to make the same choice as you. We are called to be like Christ, to be a light in this world. Are our choices reflecting it?
Are you ready to admit your little choices and your big choices impact everything you do and others around you? Are ready to stop saying "I will try" and saying "What will I choose?" Are you tired of your life being a little or big mess and all the stress? I hope you say yes and join me on this journey as we become aware of our choices and start making better ones? Let's not choose more mess in our lives. Let's not choose to add to the stress in our lives. Let's choose Christ. Let's choose our health. Let's choose to make our home a place of shelter and rest.
My prayer for you Colossians 1:9-14
That´s awesome...thanks God for you GaLynn. I enjoyed it - to read and to listen to your voice. All I can say is thank you and I will choose! Thanks for sharing und your prayer.
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