CHOICES: The Decisions That Determine the Direction of Your Life

From Who You Love to Who Influences You and Ultimately, Where You Spend Eternity

Life is filled with choices.

Some choices seem insignificant when we make them. Others can change the trajectory of our entire lives. But when you look closely at where you are today, much of your life has been influenced by decisions made along the way.

Choices are one of the driving factors of life.

You make a choice about who you’re going to marry.

You make a choice about who you’re going to date.

You make a choice about who you allow into your personal space.

You make a choice whether you allow someone to verbally disrespect you or physically mistreat you. You choose your boundaries concerning who can hug you, touch you, or kiss you.

You make a choice about what state you want to live in.

You make a choice whether you want to live in a house or an apartment.

You make a choice about where you work.

You make a choice about how you spend your money.

You make a choice about what you do with your time.

You make a choice about who influences you.

And according to the Christian faith, you ultimately make a choice concerning your relationship with God and where you will spend eternity.

Who Is Influencing Your Choices?

This is important because not every choice begins with you.

Sometimes somebody planted a thought.

Sometimes culture influenced you.

Sometimes friends pressured you.

Sometimes social media convinced you that you needed something you had never even thought about before.

That’s why you have to be careful about who has access to your mind.

The Bible says:

“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” — Proverbs 13:20 (KJV)

Who you listen to matters.

Who you follow matters.

Who you spend your time with matters.

Who you allow to counsel you matters.

Because influence eventually affects choices, and choices eventually affect direction.

Every Choice Has a Consequence

We are free to make choices, but we are not always free to determine the consequences.

You can choose who you date, but you cannot control everything that relationship will bring into your life.

You can choose how you spend your money, but you cannot separate financial decisions from financial consequences.

You can choose your habits, but eventually your habits begin shaping you.

You can choose your influences, but eventually those influences can begin affecting the way you think.

Today’s choices have a way of becoming tomorrow’s circumstances.

That is why wisdom doesn’t simply ask:

“What do I want right now?”

Wisdom asks:

“Where is this choice taking me?”

The Greatest Choice Is Eternal

We spend tremendous amounts of time thinking about temporary decisions.

Where will I live?

Who will I marry?

What career will I pursue?

What house will I buy?

How much money will I make?

Those decisions matter.

But Christianity teaches that there is another decision greater than all of them:

What will I do with Jesus Christ?

Jesus said:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” — John 14:6 (KJV)

We prepare for retirement.

We prepare for vacations.

We prepare for weddings.

We prepare for careers.

We prepare for tomorrow.

But have we prepared for eternity?

You can choose where you want to live for the next twenty years, but don’t neglect the question of where you will spend eternity.

Your Past Choices Don’t Have to Make Your Next Choice

Everybody has made choices they regret.

Maybe you chose the wrong relationship.

Maybe you trusted the wrong person.

Maybe you mishandled money.

Maybe you allowed the wrong people to influence you.

Maybe you ignored God’s direction.

You cannot go backward and remake yesterday’s choices.

But you can make another choice today.

That’s the beautiful thing about a new decision.

You can choose differently.

You can change direction.

You can ask for forgiveness.

You can forgive.

You can establish boundaries.

You can seek wisdom.

You can surrender your life to God.

Moses told Israel:

“I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life…” — Deuteronomy 30:19 (KJV)

There is that word again:

Choose.

Choose With Your Future in Mind

Before making an important decision, don’t only ask whether something feels good today.

Ask:

Where will this take me?

Because choices become habits.

Habits help shape character.

Character affects relationships.

Relationships influence environments.

Environments influence direction.

And direction eventually leads to a destination.

So choose carefully.

Choose who you date.

Choose who you marry.

Choose your boundaries.

Choose where you live.

Choose how you spend your money.

Choose who speaks into your life.

Choose who influences your thinking.

Choose the people you walk with.

Choose your relationship with God.

And don’t become so consumed with choosing where you’re going to live on earth that you never consider where you will spend eternity.

Your choices determine your direction, and your direction eventually determines your destination.

Choose wisely.