Thursday, August 25, 2011

Some days you're the Bug, Some days you're the Windshield

There's a facebook posting called "a little bird told me" put out by the Brave Girls Club that most of my friends follow. Earlier this week I re-posted this portion of one of their post..."if plants and insects and birds are created with such care and purpose how could it ever be that we are not created with the same care and purpose?"

One of my best gal pals commented: "...right? purpose....i love that word."

I was feeling extra sassy and replied: "God gave us free will; we face choices in life… bugs just face windshields. Just saying :)"

She responded: "HA! indeed. that is about as deep and as simple as it gets! :)"

This all got me thinking and I just can't seem to get this "God gave us free will" stuff out of my head. The world is full of choices. In some cases, I have been known to say, "too many choices". Like in the case of picking out floor tile... how is a person able to decide with all THOSE choices?

I know that the Brave Girls Club post was about everyone being created FOR a PURPOSE and me turning it around and talking about CHOICES and FREE WILL might not fit with what they were intending but that's where my mind went with it. That we need to ACT with purpose. Make our daily decisions carefully and remember there is an EFFECT from these decisions. Desired or not.

Like this blog, I decided to put it off, instead of writing it on Wednesday like I normally would. I put it off to take my brother's step daughter, Diamante to ValleyFair. She turned 10 years old last Sunday, has never been to ValleyFair and for that matter has never spent a day with my husband and I without her two younger brothers around. It was a great time and memories were made. She is already talking about going for the next few birthdays to come. But with that decision made, today is full of doing Wednesday and Thursday tasks. In this case, I'm happy with my choice and glad that I have the freedom to set stuff aside when I feel I can handle the effect that it will cause.

However one thing that all of us sometimes forget is to examine what affect our decisions will have on the others around us. In my case, taking the day to go to ValleyFair effected those that work with me. Yesterday and today, they either had to pick up some of my Wednesday tasks and today wait for me to complete something for their end of things to continue. With this blog, posting it later in the day may cause Friday's blogger to be effected... Maybe. Many times we don't even know who or what kind of effect has been caused by a decision we've made.

We need to cherish this free will we have been given. Handle it with as much care as possible. We won't and can't possibly make the best decisions at all times. But we can be sure to weigh things out and take others around us into consideration.

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011 w/ Pastor Paul

Today’s Focus: “How to Make Good Decisions”
The quality of life for all of us is determined by the quality of decisions we make. One man wrote: “Many people can make good decisions, but they won’t.” God makes available to us the resources to make wise decisions. Life is a series of decisions. Our decisions make us.
A new president of a bank asked an old bank president for advice.
- “Make good decisions!”
- “How do I make good decisions”, he asked?
- “From experience!”
- “How do I get experience”, he asked?
- “From making bad decisions!”


Scripture: James 1:5‑11
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double minded man, unstable in all he does.
9 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. 10 But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.


Our Main Points:
The significance of decision making. – “... a double minded man, unstable in all he does” (James 1:8). A good definition of being “double minded” is to be “two-souled”. Indecision causes instability like a confused drunk. Habitually, indecisive people are miserable. The ant asked the centipede “How do you know which leg to move next?” – The centipede thought about it so much, he could no longer walk.
For a marriage to work, one has to decide to be married to his/her spouse.


The steps for decision making. – Three practical steps:
1. Admit we need God’s wisdom. – “If any of you lacks wisdom...” (James 1:5a) All of us need wisdom. A definition of wisdom: Looking at life from God’s viewpoint... “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2).
2. Ask for wisdom. – “...he should ask God ...” (James 1:5b) The scripture above is written in the present tense... we are to keep on asking. “For the Lord gives wisdom...” (Proverbs 2:6) Compare James 4:2 with Matthew 7:7– “You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God” (James 4:2) – “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).
3. Anticipate it...“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt...” (James 1:6)... “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews11:6).

The source in decision making. “... Ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:6). God gives to us ...Christ-likeness ... Comprehension... Confidence
Question: “In what areas do we need wisdom added to our lives?”


Our Final Thoughts:
God won’t make decisions for us. God’s wisdom is found in God’s word. We are to read and obey it.
We have the choice to live life either by chance or by choice. What is life’s greatest decision? Who is going to be number one in our lives?


For those interested in receiving Pastor Paul's messages, please e-mail Pastor Paul (pastorpaul@willmarag.org) and mention you would like to be included.

Our prayer for this week is...Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, You know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance at times in asking. Have compassion on our unworthiness and blindness and graciously keep us on a path of understanding and acceptableness in Your sight through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ, we pray ~Amen.

Sara

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