Blog Layout
Choices And Decisions Make Us Who We Are
dymond phillips • Jan 13, 2021
Earlier this week, I shared my new word for 2021, intentional. Every January, we talk about how great the year ahead is going to be and how it’ll be the best year of our lives. You can say it all you want, the only way to make this year a great year, is by your choices. Our life is defined by choices, good and bad ones. Sometimes, we make the wrong decisions and we have to push through anyway. You can not harbor on your choices, but you can make better ones in the future. Last year, I made a lot of choices, some that were worse than others, but in the end it is how I navigate the choices that define who I am.
Last week, I watched a sermon by Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts, of The Potter's House at OneLA. She spoke about living and navigating thru life, on a tightrope. The bridge between where we are now and who we want to be might feel like a tightrope. That tightrope, will include challenges, distractions, hardships and much more. God will always give you strength to endure it. One of her key points that stood out to me was about our choices. There is a direct connection to our choices and where we are going or not going. Pastor Sarah said, “It is our choices that are the bricks and tools that build the bridge to where we are headed. I can tell where you're headed by the choices you’re making today. You have to ask yourself if you like the bridge in which you’re headed. If not, it's time to change the decisions you're making.” This resonated with me because, often times, we don’t think about how single choice will have a longer impact. Me choosing to be lazy today, is impacting my future life tomorrow. Everything is a choice and each choice has a positive or negative consequence. My choice to work out today, will have a positive consequence in the future. In that same instance, my choice to eat McDonald’s today, will have a negative consequence in the future. If you start to think that every choice has a direct consequence, you will start making decisions differently.
Pastor Sarah also said, “There are some people who made some decisions about 2021 and in making those decisions, they’re making different choices, because they recognize that the only way they’re going to get to who God has in mind for 2021 is if I make a decision today. I can’t postpone it, I have to make a choice today that’s going to get me there.” This year, I decided I was going to be intentional. Being intentional requires daily choices to get me there. Whatever word you set in place for 2021, will require the right choices each day. You have to be mindful of the choices that you make. You are not going to wake up and have the life of your dreams and be the person that you always wanted to be. You’re going to have it, because you build it by making the right decisions. It’s inevitable that sometimes we will make the wrong decisions. We can not sit and regret those choices, we must continue pushing forward. Forgive yourself, and don’t let the bad decision consume you. In life, making decisions can be hard, but making a decision, right or wrong, is better than making no decision. Don’t get so hung up on making perfect decisions, that you procrastinate on making any decision. Failure is inevitable, but face it head on. We are human and we will all miss the bar at some point. It’s not all about making the wrong decision, it’s about what you do after you make that choice.
Every day we make thousands of choices, some smaller than others. You’re free to choose on your own, but you can’t choose the consequences of your choices. Good decisions are key ingredient that make your life successful, effective and productive. Once you realize the power of your choices, you will be more conscious with the choices that you make. Below, I added a Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts sermon. If you have time I really urge you to check it out because it is a good one. Remember, you and only you are responsible for your life choices and decisions.
