Four days into a New Year and most of us have already broken many of our resolutions. Resolutions are so easy to make and so hard to keep. Why is that? I think one reason is because we have unrealistic goals. Also, keeping a resolution usually requires us to change bad habits. Let’s face it, change is hard.
Instead of New Year’s resolutions this year I’ve decided to focus on daily choices. God in his infinite wisdom has given us freedom to make certain choices. How we use that freedom contributes to the quality of our lives.
While it’s true time and chance happens, many of our problems could be avoided if we trained ourselves to make right choices. Many of life’s problems come from poor choices we’ve made. However, some prefer to blame God for their bad choices rather than take responsibility for their own actions.
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words. It is expressed in the choices one makes. In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.”
Life is full of choices. All day long we make choices. Will we eat healthy or not? Will we exercise or not? Will we stay under the speed limit or not? Will we forgive or not? Will we drink too much alcohol or not? Will we gossip or not? Will we accept that Jesus loves us unconditionally or not?
Right choices bring peace of mind; bad choices bring difficulty. God does not need to zap us when we do something wrong, because wrong choices bring distress. When we make wrong choices we punish ourselves. It’s the cause and effect principle. What we sow, we reap. While it’s true God forgives sin, the effects of that sin remain.
There’s a wee small voice inside us that sometimes cautions, “I probably shouldn’t do this…” or “If I do this something bad will happen…” Here’s some advice. When that voice speaks, we have the choice to listen instead of adding, “…but I’ll do it anyway.”
Jesus says in John 10:10 that he came so we might have life more abundantly. Choosing the abundant life with Jesus Christ is not a onetime event, but a daily walk with God. If we choose to walk with the Lord, right choices become easier to make.
Paul says in Philippians 4:8-9. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me – put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you!”
Did you notice it said, “Whatever you have learned – put into practice?” We’ve heard that practice makes perfect. I’m not sure if practice always brings perfection but I do know the more we practice making good choices the easier it becomes. Good choices make us and everyone around us happier. So this year my blogs will explore our world of choices.
Each New Year is filled with infinite possibilities. Each new day is filled with choices that can help those possibilities become reality.
