I was reading through my journal and realized taking down notes from my quiet time really helped me have a deeper relationship with God. I'm excited to share them with you guys! (I don't have much followers who read my blog though. Lol.)
The topic for today is "CHOICES"
In my opinion, though it may not be obvious to some of us, choice is a responsibility. Why you ask? In every choice that we make, there will either be a prize or a consequence. The choices we make today will affect our future.
In the book that I've read a few months ago, "What Matters Most" There are 5 reminders that can help us make wise decisions and live the life God planned for us. :
1. ASK GOD FOR WISDOM- In everything I do, I make sure I ask God for wisdom. Wisdom is different from knowledge. Knowledge is the having of facts while Wisdom is the application of knowledge (of course, it should be applied wisely).
It was easier for me to understand what wisdom is when I read about King Solomon. In 1 Kings Chapter 3, God asked King Solomon through his dream what he wanted from God. And he said, "So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"
Asking God for wisdom is asking God to help you discern what's right from wrong. It's asking God to help you make wise decisions. Remember! God promises wisdom to those who ask. It says in James 1:5 "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."
Asking God for wisdom will definitely help you make the right choices. It may not always be comfortable because we tend to "keep up" with the standards of the world but remember, we aren't here to please people, we are here to please, honour, and glorify God. And hey! Asking Him for wisdom is for us anyway. We gain something from it. When we choose to live in faith and not doubt God. When we choose Him over everything. We gain eternal life.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 (My favorite!!)
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
How great is our God! When you give your life to Him, when you lift up everything to Him and when you ask Him to work in you. Everything will just fall into place. Don't think about what others think of you. I learned not to care! I am proud that I found my confidence in Him and that He's working in me and through me. The love of people increases depending on our performance and decreases when we make mistakes or do something that annoys them. (How shallow, right?) But with God's love, it doesn't depend on our performance. He loves us just the way we are. :)
Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path"
Psalm 19: 7-8 "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes."
Studying God's word gives you a clear path to follow. It will guide you and it will direct you to God's will.
I always thought that I had to read a lot of chapters a day to be able to get closer to God. That's not the case, though. You can read a few verses in a day. It does not matter. What helps you understand His word is when you meditate on it. Do not only read and meditate but also apply what you've learned. Continue to seek Him! Let Him work in you. TRUST HIM.
3. TALK TO GOD THROUGHOUT THE DAY- Praying is talking to God. Take advantage of the fact that He is with you 24/7! Praise Him, Worship Him, Thank Him, Ask for forgiveness, Ask for wisdom, Dance, Sing, Laugh, Write. Ahhhh! There are a lot of things you can talk about and do. You can even talk to Him about your love life. HAH! The best part is, when you talk to Him, He listens, He doesn't judge and He gives the best advices ever! When you talk to Him, all your problems, all the anxiety will go away. He will give you peace and joy even in times wherein you think it's impossible to be at peace. HE IS IN CONTROL. Let Him do things His way, not your way. When you continue talk to Him, you will understand and would want Him to lead and guide you.
4. SEEK SMART PEER PRESSURE- This can be difficult at times. There are situations wherein you're surrounded by people who have different principles. That's inevitable. You have the choice though. You can choose to be influenced by them or not, you can choose to compromise or stand by your principles. Sometimes, we tend to move farther away from God because of the people we surround ourselves with. We want to impress them, we want to feel cool, we want to be recognized. We compromise and get into things we really don't want to do. We do them so that we could feel accepted. Trust me, that's not a good idea. When you're having problems and you ask the wrong crowd for advice, I'm sure they'll be giving you foolish answers.
Choose who you surround yourself with. Interact with wise people. Staying with the wrong crowd will cause you to sin and it will only bring harm to you. I promise you. They're less likely to respect the people who act like fools( the ones who compromise to feel accepted).
People will respect you more if you show them that you're not affected by what they think of you. Continue to be you. Be confident and be secure in God. It's not wrong to be friends with people with vices or people who have different principles. Just make sure that you be the light. Make sure that you influence them and direct them to God's path.
Proverbs 13: 20 "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm"
5. CORRECT YOUR MISTAKES- Nobody's perfect. We get into trouble. We make bad choices. The best thing about it is, once Jesus forgives the sin we confess, we need never bring it up again. :) Even if we don't feel forgiven for our mistakes, for the things we've done wrong, Jesus forgave and forgot about it already. It's a fact of our salvation!
Follow the first 4 reminders to help you correct your mistakes.
"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending" -Author Unknown
