As a kid growing up, and even today, I was, still am enamored with people’s stories. I love to hear how they got to where they are. I love to know what made them make the choices they did and how come they are so successful in their business, so happy in their marriage, so sought after for their wisdom, so amazing as parents in raising great kids who are themselves incredible people, and what made them just an all around good person. I wanted to know what they knew so I could learn from their lives and seek to be all that God intended me to be.
As a kid growing up, and even today, I was, still am enamored with people’s stories. I love to hear how they got to where they are. I love to know what made them make the choices they did and how come they are so successful in their business, so happy in their marriage, so sought after for their wisdom, so amazing as parents in raising great kids who are themselves incredible people, and what made them just an all around good person. I wanted to know what they knew so I could learn from their lives and seek to be all that God intended me to be.
I remember being challenged by one of my mentors who quoted Jesus, saying people are known by their produce – their fruit (see Matthew 7:15-20), a good tree producing good fruit, and a not-so-good tree producing not-so-good fruit. Of course I wanted, and want, to be that good tree with a life that reflects the grace, mercy, kindness and strength that Jesus the Christ did. So in searching out people whose lives seem to produce that good godly lifestyle that the Bible talks about, I discovered an amazing power they use, the power of choice.
The power of choice is the understanding that we will either enjoy the benefits of good choices or suffer the consequences of bad choices. As well, not to choose is a choice in itself. So is the choice to learn from past choices to make even better choices. A reality of life is we have been given a huge power, the power of choice. We have the power to make…
The choice to be kind or mean
The choice to love or hate
The choice to help or hurt
The choice let our speech be
seasoned with grace or full of
venom
The choice to be wise or
foolish
The choice to persevere or
give up
The choice of humility or
pride
The choice of keeping our
word or not
The choice of integrity or
deceit
The choice to initiate or do
nothing
Now some may say that others ‘make them’ say hurtful things, do foolish things, or be deceitful, yet each of us has been given the free will to choose most of our actions and most certainly our attitudes and our reactions. So what choices will you make this next year? Here we are at the beginning of a new year with opportunity to make new and renewed choices. As you think of some of the choices you will make this this next year, let me encourage you make choices in theses five areas, areas God has mentioned in the Bible.
Choose kindness, intentionally bring out the best in others, and think the best of them as well.
Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Choose to be helpful and find hope instead of fear.
Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Choose wisdom and seek to be both inquisitive and curious.
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
Choose to participate and not just spectate.
Matthew 7:12 So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 22:39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Choose to know God more…
Matthew 22:37 And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
We have no idea of what might happen in the future, but utilizing the power of choice and choosing to follow God’s Word will yield good fruit.
Why not give it a try? If you are already making good godly choices, then seek to step it up a notch. Attending church regularly can help. If you do not already have a church where you attend, we would like to invite you to Cypress Church or any of our branch churches. Our website has all the information you would need www.cypresschurch.net.
Seeking to exercise the power of choice along with you.