Careful what you choose

Christian living is all about our choices. It begins with the choice to follow Christ and is followed throughout our lives by a million other daily choices that align with that first choice.

Every day we live out our faith by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, making choices (we hope and pray) that keep us in God’s will and steadfastly move us towards His ultimate purpose for our lives. Our choices are both defensive and offensive—we choose how we respond to the difficulties life throws at us and we choose positive actions that create desired outcomes and conditions.

The Bible teaches that we are to choose certain attitudes, thoughts, and actions over others if we want to live godly lives (Phil. 4:8). Right choices lead to a consistent, effective, and peaceful existence. A Christian life rooted in right choices, though imperfect, will be marked by the kind of grace that strengthens and keeps pushing us forward even in the midst of trials, mistakes, and hardships (like the Apostle Paul, David, and Joseph).

Poor, and often sinful, choices lead to a hard life (Prov. 13:15; 4:18-19). Christians who don’t live carefully (as the Bible instructs in Eph. 5:15) will live inconsistent and frustrating lives that don’t resemble the victorious life that Christians ought to be living. If you find yourself consistently drained and seemingly always fighting needless battles ask if this might be because of poor choices. If that’s the case, choose to change course and the grace of God will meet you.

Consistently choosing the right attitudes and actions requires practice; we don’t get there by default, but it’s worth the effort. Here are a few meaningful choices that make all the difference.

C         H         O         O         S          E

• Fear God above everything/anyone else (Prov. 9:10; 3:5-6)
• Live by faith not by sight (Heb. 11:1; 1 Pet. 1:8)
• Gratitude over grumbling (Phil.4:6-7; 1 Thess. 5:18)
• Hope/faith over despair/discouragement (Ps. 43:5; Rom. 5:13; 1 Pet. 5:7)
• Righteousness over sin (Prov. 21:21; 2 Tim. 2:22)
• Obedience over self-will (1 Sam. 15:22; Deut. 5:33)
• Discipline over comfort (Gal. 6:9; Prov. 16:32)
• Wisdom over foolishness (Prov. 1:7; 9:12)
• Courage over fear (Josh. 1:9; Is. 41:10)
• God’s Word over feelings or other opinions (Heb. 4:12; Ps. 119:105; 2 Tim. 3:16)
• Belief over unbelief (Heb. 11:1; Lk. 1:45; Rom. 4:20)
• Patience over impatience (Ps. 37:7; Heb. 10:36)
• Optimism over pessimism (Rom. 12:2; Jas. 1:2-3)
• Humility over pride (Jas. 4:6; Prov. 3:34)
• Hard work over laziness (Prov. 12:11, 24; Prov. 20:4; Col. 3:23)
• Generosity over selfishness (Prov. 11:25; Acts 20:35)
• Perseverance over shrinking back (Heb. 10:38-39; Phil. 4:13)