It’s up to each of us to choose what we allow to be part of our lives. Granted there are those circumstances that may be beyond our control, but we all do get the ability to choose how we respomd and whether or not we take these things into the core of who we are or leave them out of our life.
We get to choose whether we accept or refuse the thoughts we have every day, the emotions we express, the friends we have and the affect other people are able to have upon our mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.
We get to largely choose how we care for our bodies, eat, exercise, and use our spare time. As we mature we choose if and when we will make the most of the talents, skills and the opportunities presented and bestowed upon us. We get to choose how we process our past and how much we will allow it to dictate to our future. Which is where our choices to refuse, allow, accomodate, or be negotiated with when it comes to our thoughts, others treatment of us and our relationship with God.
Unfortunately a lot of the time we can treat our life like we are just a passenger, where we allow life to happen around us rather than making life happen, and exercising and operating within our God given authority, purpose and calling. We can fail to choose and refuse wisely. It’s much like when you ride a horse. My riding instructor constantly reminds me that I can’t just sit on my horse’s back without giving any definite instructions my horse will simply go where it chooses and if its feeling cheeky I could end up on my butt on the ground. If I do that I’ve become a passenger, or at worst a casualty, rather than being the one operating and directing my ride in authority and confidently going where I’m meant to be.
God doesn’t want us to constantly go through life with regrets and approach life and the destiny we have in Him like a passenger. He wants to partner with us so that we might fulfill all we were created to be, which means we are going to need to keep the vision and dreams He has placed in our hearts firmly before us. It means we’re going to have to stay connected everyday to God our “riding instructor”, and listen up when he wants to teach and direct us.
God encourages us to refuse to just “go along for the ride” like a passenger failing to understand who we are and passively accepting the “whatever” happens mindset or the influence of people and circumstances which are not God’s best for us, which will more often than not cause us to be “bucked” off the right road and then cause us to land firmly on our butts.
“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give hope and a future”. ( Jeremiah 29:11)
Today choose well what you will accept and refuse. Don’t waste time negotiating with anything or anyone that doesn’t look like God’s best for you. Spend time discovering what dream God has placed inside you, the assignment he has called you to fulfil and the overflowing life He has for you. Then make sure you refuse, reject and say No to anything else.
“I have set before your life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants. (Duet 30:19)
Prayer: Lord I don’t want to be a passenger in life and simply go through life passively . Instead I want to fulfill all that you created me to be and I’m asking that you help me to walk in the authority and destiny I have in you. In Jesus name amen.