We Have A Choice

We all have choices to make in this life. Some are obvious and easy and some are dreadfully difficult. God also allows us to choose how we respond to situations and what our attitudes will be like. The bible talks about our attitude, and how God will repay us for our deeds, whether good or bad. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:7-9. We often forget that we have a choice of how to respond to our spouses when they treat us poorly. We don’t always have to react to the situation. Often times our reactions are based on our world views, which we can only see the here and now. And sometimes the here and now can feel overwhelming and intolerable. It can be tempting when we are going through painful situations to throw our hands up in the air and say ” What is the use in doing good? What we are not seeing is God’s long-term plan for our lives. Even though our pain is real, how is God using this pain, or this situation to make you a stronger Christian?

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Our choices in this life reveal what we love the most and where our priorities are. It is a normal human response that when we start to experience pain, whether emotional or physical, we want to find a way to get that pain to stop as quickly as possible. But what if we based our decisions on holiness rather than happiness? From the eternal perspective, we have a very short time here on planet Earth, so what are we doing with that time? Are we living our lives the way God has planned for us, or do we live our lives in a way that makes us most happy? Yes, God’s path for our lives may be full of difficult parts but the end is well worth the journey. If we choose to follow our happiness, we may have a great time on that path, but it ultimately leads us to a place of pain and suffering. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11. God’s plans are perfect for us. Our plans are humanly flawed, so don’t rely on yourself, put God back in the driver’s seat of your life.