" CHOICES "

Today is a new day, and therefore we will make numerous choices. It will remain to be seen just how good or bad these choices may have been. This weeks subject we will be " CHOICES." All of us make hundreds of choices every day. Most choices have no right or wrong attached to them - like what you wear or what we eat. But always face decisions that carry a little more weight. We don't want to do wrong, and we don't want to cause others to do wrong, so how can we make such decisions? " Making Choices In sensitive Issues " If I choose one course of action: (1) Does it help my Witness for Christ? (2) Am I motivated by a desire to help to know Christ? (3) Does it help me to do my best? (4) Is it against a specific command in scripture and would thus cause me to sin? (5) Is it the best and most beneficial course of action? (6) Am I thinking only of myself,or do I truly care about the other person? (7) Am I acting Lovingly or Selfishly? (8) Does it Glorify God? (9) Will it cause someone else to sin? Sin can be enticing because it offers a quick route to prosperity and makes us feel like one the crowd. But when we go along with others and refuse to listen to the truth, our own appetites become our masters, and we'll do anything to satisfy them. Sin, even when attractive, is deadly. We must learn to make choices, not on the basis of flashy appeal or short-range pleasure, but in view of the long-range effects. Sometimes this means steering clear of people who want to entice us into activities that we know are wrong. We can't be friendly with sin and except our lives to remain unaffected. LAST POINT: We all have choices in life and we must live with our decisions. God gave Adam a choice, and therefore the possibility of choosing wrongly. God still gives us choices, and we too, often choose wrongly. Now the wrong choices may cause us pain, but they can help us learn and grow and make wiser choices in the future. Living with the consequences of our choices teaches us to think and choose more carefully. Until Next Time... Jim,