It has been said the average person makes as many as 3500 choices a day; from the food we eat, to what we allow to enter our minds. We choose what to say, how to spend our time, and what to think.
All of life is a choice and part of being made in the image of God is being given the freedom to make these choices.
When things don’t turn out as we wish, we rarely consider the fact that we are responsible to some degree. Even if someone else’s actions or words have hurt us and we are not at fault, we have the choice as to whether to allow that person to have to power to consume our thoughts and hearts. We can turn angry, bitter, and depressed, or choose to move on and leave them to God.
John Ortberg said, “We always have a choice about the contents and character of our inner lives.” No one but use can decide how our healthy our hearts will be.
Ortberg tells the story of David Rabin, a man diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease at age forty-six. As he gradually lost all bodily functions and was left to communicating totally by lifting one eyebrow, he chose to still life to the fullest and said, “Sickness may challenge your body. But are you merely your body? Lameness may impede your legs. But you are not merely your legs. Your will is bigger than your legs. For your will is always under your control.” (From book: It All Goes Back In The Box.)
Rabin chose to teach, write papers and participate in family gatherings when many others would have considered themselves hopeless. Even though he could not control his body, he was well aware that his will was always under his control.
I think that I have not made the best choices lately. I have allowed others to affect my peace of mind. I have chosen to put other things before God. I have permitted the unhealthy attitudes of others to cause my heart to hurt.
It is time that I take control over every decision I make. It is hard to control 3500 decisions daily but I can at least work on a few.
There is an old African proverb that says, “Poco a poco di ntoro” or “ Little by Little Makes A Bundle”. If I choose one or two choice areas every few days to work on, eventually I will be more aware of my choices.
Today, I choose to concentrate on my heart; keeping it pure and holy before God and not letting the words and actions of others take away my peace. (Colossians 3:15-17)