Christian Perspectives – choices are important

September 13, 2013 · 0 Comments

What you think and what you believe matters, because it impacts your actions, which determine the outcomes in your life. This is a very powerful statement that encompasses every waking moment of every day of your life. I read a challenge a few weeks ago where it was suggested a person keep track of the number of choices they make in a day. In an attempt to do so it became clear very quickly this is something next to impossible to do. Give it a try and you will quickly see what I mean. The choices you make are very often made automatically from the habits you have created by previous decisions generated by your thoughts and beliefs.

Think about your routine in the first ten minutes of your day and watch for your choices. Which hand did you use to turn off your alarm? That was a choice. Did you put something on your feet when you stood up? That was a choice. Which foot did you put something on first? That was a choice. Where did you go when you left the bedroom? That was a choice. Which hand did you use to open or close the first door you encountered in your day? That was a choice. This is how your day progresses. I think you get the drift.

There are those who would say that most choices a person makes in their day do not really matter. I would contend the opposite is true. Every choice, no matter how small we think it is, is important, because it relates in some way to what we think and what we believe and impacts our actions, creating our reality. As an example, experts in marketing and influence say the colour of the blouse or shirt you choose to wear influences and impacts how people will relate and respond to you while you are wearing it. Different colours create different responses. I would suggest it would be a good thing if we stopped more often to consider the impact and future outcomes of our choices. Your choices create habits, which in turn reflect your character, which directs your actions and what happens in your life.

In relation to these concepts, perhaps it might be helpful if you thought through their connection to the Biblical Law of the Harvest. In its basic form this law states, you reap what you sow. In every choice you sow something which will at some point bring a result in your life. When reading the Bible you will be amazed at how often this law or principle is found when you begin to look for it.

Let me briefly illustrate this from Luke 5:17ff. There was a group of people who gathered to hear Jesus. A series of choices resulted in each of them being in that location.

Some men made a choice to take their friend, a paralytic man to Jesus in the hopes he might be healed by Jesus (a choice they made). This choice came out of their thinking and beliefs that Jesus had the power and ability to heal their friend. They made the choice to work together to carry this man to the place where Jesus was. When they arrived and discovered there were so many people crowded around they made a choice not to let outward circumstances stop them from completing their mission. Some people may have become discouraged and given up and carried the man home. These men made a choice and asked, “What do we do next to reach our goal?” They were committed to an outcome and moved to find a solution: get up on the roof, create a hole and lower their friend to Jesus was their action. This choice would certainly catch the attention of Jesus. Having thought through and implemented their plan they watched with a sense of expectation and belief as Jesus spoke to their friend, first about his sins being forgiven and then the instruction to get up, take his mat and go home.

In the moments of this event, the religious leaders made choices as they watched things unfold before their eyes. The faith of the men on the roof, the attitude and response of Jesus, and the reaction of everyone present to what happened created consequences in the lives of those present. The choices Jesus made in that moment also reflected His thoughts and beliefs, resulting in actions which led to outcomes in the lives of those in that moment and in the lives of those who continue to be influenced by the choices made and their effect in our today.

Since we do reap what we sow in all of our choices, I would suggest it would be worth our attention to make conscious choices to influence our actions, which bring about the kinds of outcomes we really desire, rather than to simply coast aimlessly to results we really do not want. But that is your choice, isn’t it?

Rev. Bob McLellan

Pastor of Grace Church of the Nazarene in ShelburneJOY Center of Learning

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