The Choice is Yours

Today I have felt to write about choices, in particular choices that involve us choosing either the carnal natures of what our bodies want, or the choice to do what that little conscience/light of Christ says.  There are times when it's easier to choose what you know in your heart or mind to be the right choice, and then there are times when you feel weak and you struggle to make the choice that you know is the right one.  Then there are times when it's a downright choice you simply don't want to make to do good.  I have gone through all three of these choices many times.  I'm pretty sure you have too.  

When Good is Easy-If you look at your life and notice what you were doing daily when it was easy to choose to do good, what were you doing?  Were you praying often?  Were you studying the scriptures?  Were you attending church?  Was your heart turned to God in gratitude and /or rejoicing?  What type of prayers did you pray during that time?  Where was your focus?  Whatever you were doing when it was easy to choose, do an experiment, choose to do those habits again for two weeks, and then notice if the choices become easier.  

When Good is Hard-Look at a choice you made where it was hard to choose the good.  You may not have chosen the good choice.  Or you may have.  Look at the habits you were taking on at that time.  And if you can't think of a time when this happened where it was hard, look at what you are doing now in your life.  Where is your focus?  Do you praise the Lord?  Do you study, or pray?  Do you lean to him when you have a difficult decision to make?  What is it that you are making priority in your life?  Is it TV, entertainment, social media, or maybe good things, yard work, Hobbies, taking care of kids and or family members, learning how to do self-care or so much more.  This world is so full of things that take up our time.  When we get up in the morning, do we say a prayer and ask him to help us choose the right things?  do we ask for that strength?  Or do we rush about and get everything and everyone to the places they need to be and then try to focus on our work all while ignoring the reason we have all of these things in our life?  Is our heart saying "I will go where you want me to go, do what you want me to do, say what you want me to say?" .  Often when a choice is hard for me to make between right and wrong, I realize that I have lost this focus.  That feeling within my heart where I WANT to obey is diminished somehow, usually because I let distractions get in the way.  This doesn't seem harmful from day to day to let distractions get in the way, but it can be the subtle destroyer.  Before you know it, those distractions have pushed out all of the good habits and are leading you away from God.  So when you find a choice hard to make, take a look at your life, and your habits and decisions on a daily basis.  Is that where you want to be?  If everything and everyone was taken away in your life, your friends, your family, your job and your money and hobbies, would you be able to say to God, "I praise you!!".  If not, do you want to re-align with him?  or would you continue to choose your way yourself?  

When Good is almost not an option-This one is by far the hardest time of life.  I have been here many times.  Usually something has happened in my life where I am angry at either the situation I have been put in, my family has been put through, or I'm upset with God for some reason or another.  In these times, when I am tempted to do something, I know my conscience is telling me not to, I easily brush that light of Christ away and choose the wrong on purpose.  Why do we do this?  Is it in defiance of God?  Is it to punish him?  Is it to make our wants and wishes known?  Is choosing the wrong accomplishing those goals?  Sometimes these moments of choosing the wrong on purpose can be short or other times can last years and years.  Maybe even a lifetime.  So what pulls you back?  I ask this as a light suggestion to your soul, if you are in this headspace currently, have you ever had someone when you were angry or sad or hurt do something that gave you light inside and helped you feel just the slightest bit better?  If so what was it?  Could you do that for someone else?  If you could do that, who would you do that for?  Think of that person who came to your mind and then ask yourself, Can I be mad at God or at the situation and still serve the person who just came to your mind in that way?  If you can, I urge you to do it.  There was a time when my family was on the verge of bankruptcy.  We had two little kids at the time, living in a home that was run down, had damage from a fire that wasn't our fault, but still resulted in a very difficult situation for us, my husband was struggling to earn a living and we couldn't afford daycare so I could go back to work.  I was babysitting to earn money where I could and trying to make our all meals with only $25-30 a week for food.  Which mostly went to formula and diapers.  We literally had nothing it felt like.  Christmas was coming up soon and I felt so hopeless and ready to give up.  I threw my hands up in the air one morning and told the kids to get in the car.  My daughter did and I put my baby into the car and we drove to McDonalds.  As we sat in the drive thru I knew I was spending money I didn't have on food that I just didn't want to cook, I knew I shouldn't have gone there but I was so absolutely frustrated with life, our situation, and yes with God.  I ordered our food and then told my daughter she would be late to school that day as I hung my head in shame.  Even though I was distraught and upset with God, I prayed a small prayer in my heart for some way to make it through this Christmas coming up.  I approached the window to pay and looked in my wallet.  I pulled out my last $5 bill and went to hand it to the lady, when she gave it back to me and said "no, the man two cars ahead paid for you already.  He said to tell you Merry Christmas!" I sat there looking at here with wide eyes and a shocked look on my face as I slowly put the $5 back in my wallet.  Tears started at the corners of my eyes as I realized that this was my answer from God.  THIS was my answer to my prayer even though I had been mad at God, he answered me.  As I looked at the white truck pull away that had so kindly paid for our food, I thanked God for his soul and his kindness and for showing me that there was good in this world.  

We never know what others are facing daily.  They could be paying with their last $5 bill simply because they don't know what else to do.  They could be searching for some sort of light in the world to let them know that hope is real and that life can continue and be good.  Not all bad.  They may just be needing exactly what you have for them, a smile, a hug, or maybe just being noticed.   So, what can you do today?  Why would serving someone else make it easier for you to choose the good?  I think if you search deep in your mind and heart, you know the answer to this question.  

If we can't choose to do good for us or for God, can we choose to do good for someone else?  and if you can choose to help one person, can you choose to help two?  or three?  One by one, can we reach those who need help that haven't been seen?  or maybe they have been seen, but they need YOU to see them.  Pick one person whom you thought of while reading this, and do that one thing you thought of doing.  Just one.  See how it makes you feel.  Then choose one more.  Keep going one by one and change the world one heart, one soul at a time.  You have the power to do this.  After a few weeks, take a look back and see where your focus has shifted and what changes you've noticed in yourself.  Do you like the changes?  It's all within your grasp and power, you are, after all, the master of your own life.  What you choose to do with your life is yours, but oh, how things can change if you choose.