Choices

Life is based on choices. It is a reality that we have overlooked, and that we treat like a cliché. Since we were kids, choices have defined us: the color of the Hot Wheels car we want, which cartoon bed sheet we want, to play baseball or basketball, etc.

What are choices? Choices are decisions made by preference (according to dictionary.com). I got very interested about the word preference. And let’s be honest: we always chose for our convenience. We chose what we prefer. That’s kind of the law of life. We always pick the color we like, or the most secure job, or the prettiest wife, or the most amazing cellphone. Choices are also based in personality; you’ll never see a great mass of people taking the same steps toward a same thing, like an assembly line. Each and every person make choices according to his own interest and his own happiness.

And that’s not bad at all.

But what if there is a choice better than the one we think?

Imagine this situation: You have the opportunity to go overseas for a long period of time, to discover places, meet new people and open your horizons. You see open doors, people helping you around about flight fares and stuff, answered prayers concerning that topic, and other blessings. But right after that open door, another door opens: the dream job. A once-in-a-lifetime chance that, you know it will never come back. That company wants you bad. They see talent in you. They are offering you “The Real Juicy Contract” (follow me here). They want to make you the next big thing. And you need to leave everything behind in order to get it.

Chance against chance. Opportunity against opportunity.

You can’t compare this to the Shorty vs. Biggie situation from some months ago. These are life-changing aspects of life, and any path is a good path to walk. Any path is a path of growing, sacrifice and hard work. In order to take one, you need to forget about the other, and you can’t be greedy. You can’t have both neither work around that idea. You have to make a decision. You have to choose in order to LIVE.

But here is the big deal: We don’t know what the future holds. We don’t know if the trip is going to fall flat. We don’t know if the job found a better candidate. We don’t know if we are going to get fired, and then get no job. We don’t know what is going to happen to us and that scares us. Because of that we tend to run toward the most secure, most benefitting, most riskless, safest, easiest decision in order to stay safe and if things fall apart, we get hurt the less.

We don’t think about the consequences for the others around us, but on our own preference.

As Christians we are not called to put our benefit in the first choice; even when common sense calls us to do so. The better choice is always going to be this: the decision that gives glory to God the most.

Do we think about God’s glory in our decisions? Do we think about what God thinks concerning what we want? Do we care enough to trust the Lord with all our hearts, or do we go into trust our own prudence first (Prov. 3:5-6)? Have you ever thought that as a Christian, we give glory to God with everything we do? Maybe because we think about our own glory when we make decisions.

So, do you want to be at peace with your choices? Pray like Jesus at Gethsemane: “Not my will but Yours be done.” When you realize that the Glory of God is your blessing, and that the Lord’s will is good and perfect (Rom 12:2), you will know that whatever God puts in your way, is the RIGHT CHOICE TO MAKE.

There is a Bible verse that has guided my walk nowadays and I believe it will help your path toward good choices:

12 What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall He teach in the way that he shall choose. (Psalms 25:12 KJV)

To know that He will guide me in my walk, that He will literally tell me which path to take, is refreshing. It fills me with joy and peace. But remember the condition: Those who fear the Lord. To fear the Lord is no other than to love Him, to believe in His promises and to obey Him. What’s the point of listening to God’s guidance if you won’t do it anyways? What’s the point of following God’s voice if you don’t believe in what He says?

Choices are our daily bread. Choices can be silly and can be completely crucial to your life. But, it doesn’t matter what path you need to take, always take the path that glorifies God the most. He will guide you to green pastures, and you’ll see that His Will is good and perfect for you.

Credit is due to my mentor, who doesn’t read English, but I tease him about it anyways.