by Phyllis Ducey
pfdoriginalartworks
I can choose if I want brown hair or make it red; I can choose the color of my eyes if I wear contacts (which I don’t because it creeps me out to stick something in my eye); I can choose how I spend my money, what I listen to and what I eat. I can choose to let my bad mood affect others or keep it to myself. I can choose whether I will listen to someone, pretend to or just walk away.
Without even realizing it we are continually making choices. I choose to be on time for work, brush my teeth, put on makeup and wear clean clothes. (Sometimes choosing the clothes can be a challenge if I am feeling particularly overweight that day!) I choose to drive to work, listen to a radio station, and take stairs or the elevator. I never have tried to count but I would not be surprised if we did not make thousands of choices in a day!
Why did God not just give us parameters and tell us this is what we do and that’s it. Wouldn’t it have been easier? He could have made our world grey or black and white to simplify our choices. (Then we would not have lengthy discussion on what color to paint the walls!)
God gave us choices.
We often hear it referred to as free will. He allows us to choose to ignore Him as the countries of Judah and Israel did in the times of the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah.
He allows us to choose Him.
He is God and He allows us choice… wow! Isn’t that amazing? And He even allows us to think the right to these choices is something we deserve! We don’t… He is just an incredibly gracious God. I think about the privilege of choice a lot.
If I went to see my grandkids and they were told: “go hug your grandmother” and did it in a required manner without enthusiasm, it would have little meaning to me. But my grandkids (God bless them), when they see me, come running and screaming “Grammy, Grammy, Grammy” and jump into my arms …and the little ones plant themselves on my lap, putting their face right into my face wanting my undivided attention! Oh, my how rewarding that is. I love it and can’t get enough of it. (It could be the only earthly thing that is better than chocolate!) Maybe in some little way, that is why God gives us a choice. He wants us to choose Him... to want to be with Him... to relish our time and be sad if we can't spend more time with Him.
And us choosing to run to Him with our whole heart will bring Him glory and joy.
pfdoriginalartworks
Choices bombard us daily… we have hundreds of channels on our TV, (and have trouble finding anything good to view), thousands of songs to listen to and movies galore to watch. Did you ever go to a restaurant and be asked 10 questions before your order was complete? Sometimes I am dumbfounded by all the choices and want to say just give it to me, don’t make me choose!
I just heard a scientist state that a person averages 260 food decisions a day!
I just heard a scientist state that a person averages 260 food decisions a day!
I can choose if I want brown hair or make it red; I can choose the color of my eyes if I wear contacts (which I don’t because it creeps me out to stick something in my eye); I can choose how I spend my money, what I listen to and what I eat. I can choose to let my bad mood affect others or keep it to myself. I can choose whether I will listen to someone, pretend to or just walk away.
Without even realizing it we are continually making choices. I choose to be on time for work, brush my teeth, put on makeup and wear clean clothes. (Sometimes choosing the clothes can be a challenge if I am feeling particularly overweight that day!) I choose to drive to work, listen to a radio station, and take stairs or the elevator. I never have tried to count but I would not be surprised if we did not make thousands of choices in a day!
Why did God not just give us parameters and tell us this is what we do and that’s it. Wouldn’t it have been easier? He could have made our world grey or black and white to simplify our choices. (Then we would not have lengthy discussion on what color to paint the walls!)
God gave us choices.
"If you love Me, keep My commandments.John 14:15
We often hear it referred to as free will. He allows us to choose to ignore Him as the countries of Judah and Israel did in the times of the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah.
He allows us to choose Him.
"but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."
John 20:31
He is God and He allows us choice… wow! Isn’t that amazing? And He even allows us to think the right to these choices is something we deserve! We don’t… He is just an incredibly gracious God. I think about the privilege of choice a lot.
If I went to see my grandkids and they were told: “go hug your grandmother” and did it in a required manner without enthusiasm, it would have little meaning to me. But my grandkids (God bless them), when they see me, come running and screaming “Grammy, Grammy, Grammy” and jump into my arms …and the little ones plant themselves on my lap, putting their face right into my face wanting my undivided attention! Oh, my how rewarding that is. I love it and can’t get enough of it. (It could be the only earthly thing that is better than chocolate!) Maybe in some little way, that is why God gives us a choice. He wants us to choose Him... to want to be with Him... to relish our time and be sad if we can't spend more time with Him.
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Rev 4:11 (KJV)
"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."
Deuteronomy 6:5
In return it brings us joy too. So, as I said in my post last week, Heavy Heart, our joy is a choice. I can choose to turn to God, to trust in Him or I can choose to do it my own way. I can choose to be thankful no matter what the circumstances or I can choose to be bitter within. I can choose to ruin everyone's day because I had something bad happen or I can choose to give it to God with thanksgiving and bless others. The choice is mine.
I was going to end there but wanted to add one more thing about choosing to give it to God with thanksgiving. That perplexed me for the longest time. I lost my best friend of over 25 years to cancer, how can I be thankful for that? It was a choice. To choose to trust that God will only allow into my life things that He will carry me through. To say to the Lord: “I am hurting. I can not carry this load but I know You can. I give it to You out of obedience to Your word”, thanking Him that He is in control. Thanking Him that He can use my pain and sorrow to mold and shape me into His piece of art. God has taught me how I can be thankful in my sorrow, pain and/or grief.
Below are some of our wonderful shops that give these items in choices of colors or?? Check them out to see what great choices they have. And don't forget to heart! We all love hearts!
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Phil 4:6,7
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."Col 3:15,16
As I allow God's word to dwell richly in me, I know the choice is mine.
Below are some of our wonderful shops that give these items in choices of colors or?? Check them out to see what great choices they have. And don't forget to heart! We all love hearts!
Comments (9)
Phyllis - you nailed it...or rather, He chose to nail it through you♥
brings tears to my eyes -
right on the mark Phyllis -
thank you for being who you are in Christ..
I have nothing to add - you nailed it
what a tremendous encouragement and solid food you provide each week♥
I made a choice a while ago, not to persue a relationship. Without realizing, I was listening to the Holy Spirit and choosing the Lord.
Thank You for this and I want to read this every day.
♥♥♥
Sue
So great! Thank you very much for sharing with us. I ask for permission to share with the ladies in my Bible Study???? I hope you'll allow that.
Joy from JoyfulHandKnits.etsy.com
Great stuff - thank you for encouraging us to choose to praise God at all times - he is so worth it - I feel ashamed for forgetting sometimes.
You are so right about the bad times. When my daughter was ill with cancer I learned that although I couldn't praise God FOR the circumstance, I could praise him IN it and he sustained me - and still does
Wow!! Awesome wisdom here!!!!!
Another great article! Very well said. A great reminder that l-o-v-e is simply a meaningless word on a page without the ability to choose. Thank you!
Praise God that he allows us to choose LIFE! Great post. Thanks.
What can I say?
The Lord has invested in you a talent to express His thoughts so sucinctly, that it is as if it is He Himself who speaks to us.
How blest we are, of all creatures, to have so wise a God who lets us choose whether we'll serve Him or not, who does not want puppets on a string, but those who choose, volitionally, to obey Him.
Thanks Phyllis. I love that verse in Colossians.