Why is That Your Choice?

‘Why is that your choice?!” is one of the phrases that I say consistently. I’ll be driving down the road and someone will cut me off or make some other bone-headed maneuver and that’ll be my response instead of honking my horn. This phrase also works when I see someone doing something that I find to be odd or silly.

Each day we make hundreds of decisions, some are very important and difficult ones to make, others are of little consequence in the grand scheme of things. But what process do you go through when making decisions daily?

Normally my decisions are based on what will benefit me the most. I’m a selfish human being and I want to do things that are in my best interest. But that’s not the decision-making criteria that we, as Christians, are called to use.

More and more, my decisions have been decided in light of the answers to these questions:

Jesus, what do you want me to do?
Will this action point others to God?
Will this decision point people to the heart of God?
Will my choice advance the Kingdom?

This is a very different paradigm than I’ve ever had before. This means, instead of taking on that extra work that will wear me out, grate on my nerves, and make me an all-around horrible person to be around, I will say ‘no’ and choose to rest. This means that I’ll reach out to my community and be honest with them instead of building up the Great Wall of China around my heart. This means continuing to write on this blog when I can be doing other things that produce income. And, of course, this means loving people and honoring them, even when I have road rage or someone around me makes a bone-headed mistake.

I still fail at this all the time. I’m so far from perfect, but I still try my best to let my decisions be informed by God instead of my own mind. If my focus is on the Kingdom and not on self, I have a tendency to make better decisions that will have lasting effects, not momentary pleasures.

What informs your decision-making?

How do you make God-honoring decisions in your everyday life?

To go Deeper: Read Decisions, Decisions, Belief Determines Behavior