Every day we make choices. Some seem small and insignificant, while others can change the direction of our lives. But one thing is certain: our lives are largely shaped by the choices we make.
We may not get to choose everything that happens to us, but we do get to choose how we respond.
You can choose to be bitter, or you can choose to forgive.
You can choose to complain, or you can choose to be thankful.
You can choose to quit, or you can choose to keep going.
You can choose to tear someone down, or you can choose to encourage them.
You can choose fear, or you can choose faith.
Sometimes the most important choices aren’t the big ones. They’re the little decisions we make when nobody is watching.
Will I do what is right even when it is difficult?
Will I keep my word?
Will I treat others the way I want to be treated?
Will I take another step when I feel like giving up?
Joshua challenged the people of Israel with these powerful words:
“Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” — Joshua 24:15
Notice that little word: choose.
God has given us the ability to make choices, and with that ability comes responsibility. Yesterday’s choices may have brought you to where you are today, but today’s choices can help determine where you go tomorrow.
Maybe you’ve made some poor choices. We all have. Don’t spend the rest of your life allowing yesterday’s mistakes to make today’s decisions. Learn from them. Ask God for wisdom. Make a better choice today.
You may not be able to change yesterday, but you have a choice about what you do with today.
Choose kindness.
Choose forgiveness.
Choose honesty.
Choose gratitude.
Choose perseverance.
Choose faith.
Choose to help somebody.
Choose to do what’s right.
And when you come to one of those crossroads where you don’t know which direction to take, remember the words of Proverbs 3:5–6:
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Thought for Today
Your choices become your actions, your actions become your habits, and your habits help shape the person you become. Choose wisely today—you may be choosing more than a moment; you may be choosing your future.
