Choices

Last night I had the enjoyment of hanging out with a few college students who want to walk well with Jesus. We had just studied the life of Jonathan and discussed the impact relationships have on our lives, whether they be of the friendship or love variety. As we were gathered around chatting, I shared a little bit on my study of Mary that I will be speaking on in two weeks. One word keeps rising to the top in my study, and it is a common theme in the lives of the other characters we've discussed ~ choice. When we drill down to the basic point of any circumstance, issue, problem, joy... the ultimate control that any human has is personal choice. Let me explain...

As I look on my life, the only thing I have been able to control is the choices I've made. There are numerous choices over the years that have shaped who Carla is. My choice to choose to trust Christ as my Savior over rejecting His grace, my choice to pursue a degree over going directly into the workforce, my choice to remain in my hometown over moving to the city, my choice to be part of a fellowship that is serious about following Christ over a lukewarm existence in a "don't step on my toes" church, my choice to wait on God over doing things my own way. Those are a few of the good choices ... and there is a litany of really poor ones that I've made over the years ~ bad relationships, self serving activities, sin. However, the bottom line is that I had the choice.

Now some may be saying that circumstances have occurred that were beyond your control and life has dealt you some pretty ugly blows... illness, broken relationships, attacks on your character, financial ruin, problems with your children and a whole host of other unimaginable horrors that have befallen you. I've experienced some of those same things. Yet, my friend, we still have a choice. We have a choice to play victim or victor. We have a choice to change what we can or to wallow in the same excuses we've come to accept as fact. We have a choice to rise to the challenge in front of us or to be a coward. We have a choice to use whatever the Lord has allowed for His glory or to turn away from God and blame Him.

Yes, there are difficult choices in this life and often times the right ones are often the hardest to do. Choose well.

James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.