“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” – Stephen Covey
I recently spoke about our power of choice and how this is a uniquely human endowment. Dogs, cats, horses, and cows function out of instinct, not choice. Only humans have this power. We are able to consider our motives, think about possible consequences, and reflect on the results of past choices in order to formulate a response to a given set of circumstances. This is because we are created in the image of God. A space exists between the stimulus we receive and the decision we make. That space is where our freedom of choice resides.
The sad thing is that some of us forfeit this divinely-inspired characteristic because we've grown complacent or resigned to our circumstances. Life is difficult at times and we can find ourselves feeling like we have no choices, or only one. But to limit ourselves is to limit our very humanity.
My circumstances are what they are. Sometimes they are of my own doing, sometimes they result from someone else’s choices, good or ill. They just are. The question is, what am I going to do moving forward? Am I going to settle? Am I going to remain frustrated? Am I going to let others dictate to me what to do? Or, am I going to feel the empowerment from knowing the love of God and that his plan is always better than my plans? Will I choose to listen to and obey God’s voice? Will I rise above my circumstances and, with the help of God, produce a new future, a preferred future?
God always has the best perspective, the eternal perspective. As I grow in faith, I learn to lean on him and his understanding and wisdom to make choices that will glorify him, reveal his love to others, and bless me. I get to choose.
What choices are you making? How are your choices honoring God and loving others? As you reflect on challenges that lie ahead, how can you learn from God and trust in his loving direction? The more you pray and think about your choices in light of God’s will, the easier it will be to use the power of choice God has given you to experience the fulfillment, peace, and security that only God can give.