Choices

Choices.   The opportunity to choose.  To select from a number of possibilities.  Over the past year or so, I have spent a lot of time on the word "choice."  I think I have been drawn to this topic because of being a parent.  By observing my children I have seen more easily why choices are so important.  I have incorporated this quote "Just two choices on the shelf, pleasing God or pleasing self" (Ken Collier, full time staff at The Wilds Christian Camp) every since I heard it the first time while a student at BJU and it was only natural for me to quote this often to my kids.  In fact, they now quote it before I even start saying it because they know where it fits in their lives.  But, what is a choice, really?  Why are good choices so important?

I have pondered this often over the past year or so.  God gives us the privilege of making our own decisions and choices. It is God's desire that we make the right decisions.  As a parent, my heart breaks when my children make wrong choices in life. God’s heart breaks when I make wrong choices. Still, He is merciful to forgive and help if we ask. Sometimes the right choice comes too late and we have to suffer the consequences of our actions.

Consequences.  The effect, result, or outcome of something that happened earlier.   At times we have to go through life carrying the load of some wrong choices we have made in the past. There are times the devil leads us to believe we have messed up so badly that nothing good can ever come of their lives.  This is a lie.  John 8:44 says the devil " was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

The good news comes from 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  God is faithful to forgive us when we make wrong choices.  He helps us to move on.  While the consequences will always be there, we can move on in service.
  
There is no way to get through life without making choices.   I chose to gain weight when I chose to eat too much.  There were consequences to that choice.  The devil had me convinced for so long that it was of no use to lose weight because in the past when I lost it, I gained it all back and then some.   So I ate and ate and ate and ate.  I waited for my heart to be ready to lose the weight.  It never happened.  Do you know why it never happened?  It was because I was not CHOOSING to lose weight.  I was not choosing to ignore the devil and his lies.  In the past I had heard that "making the food behave is not the way to lose weight" so I quit trying.   The Lord began working in my heart concerning this matter.  I kept hearing over and over "Ruth, you have to make yourself behave and in turn make wise choices in your eating.  It is time.  I want you to do this."  Now, it wasn't an audible voice I heard, lest you think I really have flipped my lid.  It was subtle.  When I would sit and binge, my head would be thinking "why am I doing this?  I am killing myself with food!"   I would make excuses like "this tastes so good and I don't want to share it so I will eat it ALL!"  Yes, I just admitted to being selfish.  It's true.  I struggle with selfishness.    Selfish desires come from wrong choices.  There is that word again.  CHOICES! 

Five months ago today I began this journey to a better me.  It has been challenging but it has also been very rewarding.  Last Saturday at a baby shower, I didn't eat the wonderful food that had been prepared.  You see, I had eaten breakfast before going to the baby shower because had I waited until later to eat, I would have been even more tempted to overeat.  To eat at that baby shower would have been sin for me.  I felt sorry for the ladies at my table because here I am with my bottle of water and they are eating away and I knew at least one of them felt guilty because she said to me "You mean you can't eat ANY of this?"    I explained that I could eat it and that none of it was restricted in my diet plan...I eat foods I love but have learned extreme moderation in all things eaten.  I went on to explain that to make the choice to eat that food when I was not hungry however, was sin.  God gives us hunger pains to know when to eat.  Isn't that amazing?  For a few years I admit I never felt hunger.  I was grazing all the live long day so there were no hunger pains for me.   


I know a few of you reading my blog struggle too.  You have shared with me privately your desires to lose weight and you have asked me to pray for you.  I want you to know that I do pray for you.  I pray for you to choose this day whom you will serve.  There is such joy and peace when you make the right choices.