That I Should Choose

Pretty quickly in life we start realizing that we all have choices to make –and we better make good ones, because they all have consequences. When I worked at camp, our leadership always sent us off on our free week-ends with the slogan, “Make good choices! Remember whom you represent!”  But how can we do just that, make good choices?

I just wrapped up a study on weight loss and exercise through a Biblical perspective, and I was amazed by how many lessons could be applied to life in general. One of these was on decision-making. In the study’s context, decision-making revolved around food choices. But in life, decision-making revolves around…everything. So I put together a little “discernment test” from my study and reflection that we can apply to just that: everything.

• ·         Develop a habit of continually renewing your mind

Romans 12:1-2 is pretty clear on that: how do we become more like Christ? We fill our minds with His Words which are found in Scripture. The more we become like Christ, the more we think as He should and in accordance to His will. In other words, it will become easier to discern wisely in decision-making. Roy Disney once said that “It’s not hard to make decisions once you know what your values are.” This is true, but we all know how quickly Satan likes to have us forget what our values are! One way to fight him in this area is to renew our minds daily because part of renewing your mind is discovering who you are in Christ now. As we discover this new identity, we become filled with a desire to protect it, motivating us for wholesome choices.

• ·         Ask yourself if this decision is beneficial

When faced with a decision, we should honestly ask ourselves if it will benefit us, our testimony, or even the spreading of the Gospel  -rather than if it is “lawful” to us. We have freedom in Christ (Gal. 5:1), and we so quickly like to claim this liberty! But we also forget that we are not to abuse this liberty or use it to damage Christ’s name or others’ outlook towards the Gospel (I Peter 2:16). One way to test if it is truly beneficial is to consider if it is placing us into another kind of bondage (I Cor. 6:12). For example, will giving in to this food temptation only lead to my slavery to it?

• ·         Love God and love people

Matthew 22:36-40 explains that the greatest commandment is love for God and love for people, so does this decision reflect that love? Is it purely, sincerely motivated by this love? We are to exemplify Christ in all we do –and Christ was “obedient unto death” (Phil. 2:8) because He loved His heavenly Father and He loved people. Our decisions should reflect that kind of love –and we cannot love like that without His help and without renewing our minds.

“Trusting in the Lord means every decision you make is done with Him in mind.” Bernita Weston’s words echo loudly as I finish this post. Our decisions should reflect our trust in Jesus! Rather than motivated by legalism or personal achievement, our hearts can now reach for prayerful choices led by the Holy Spirit and His Word. Finally, we should remember and find encouraging comfort in the truth that He PROMISES that He will keep in perfect peace those whose mind is focused on Him (Isaiah 26:3), even in the midst of tough, fog-immersed decision-making.