Choices

Choices.

 

We make them every day.

At the grocery – paper or plastic?

Do I stop at my favorite drive-through for a snack?

or

eat the granola bar in my purse?

Sometimes we have trivial choices to make

White or tan paint for the living room?

Sometimes we have to make hard choices

Pay rent or feed our family?

Sometimes we make life changes choices

Getting married

Having children

Changing jobs

I think we forget how often our choices affect other people.  

Do I pay for a monthly gym membership I never use?

Do I get a new car when my car is only a few years old ? 

Do I take my family on our dream vacation?

So how do those choices affect others?

 Instead of a gym membership you could sponsor a child.

Instead of a new car maybe you could adopt a child.

Instead of a dream vacation maybe you could feed the homeless.

I am not saying that having nice things or doing nice things for ourselves is the wrong choice.   In fact, God wants to bless us with gifts.  He wants us to have a blessed life.

I do think we need to stop before making a choice and say, “can I do this in Jesus name?”  Is this the choice HE wants me to make right now.  God maybe saying yes to the gym membership.  He might use you to touch the life of someone at that gym.  The key is we have to stop and ask God if this choice is "in Jesus name" or " in (insert your name here) name"

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

For example, I REALLY want to take a nice family vacation this year.  Honestly, our typical vacations are a lot of work.  We usually go camping but with one child in a wheelchair, one visually impaired, and two with sensory issues it is not a “vacation” for mom and dad.  However, we always have lots of fun and never regret doing it!!

I would really like to use part of our tax refund for a nicer vacation this year.  BUT, every time my husband and I discuss it we don’t get a peaceful feeling.  I can’t say that we would be doing it "in Jesus name".  If God is not going to bless that vacation then I don’t want to be there.  

God is leading us to use those resources for something else.  When the time is right I will let you know where God is leading us to use our current resources.