Psalm 1 1Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his Law day and night.
In a world where no one likes to take responsibility for anything, it is refreshing to know that God’s Word says your decisions will affect you, and there is no one else to blame but yourself. How’s that for being honest?
If you hang out with the wrong people or spend your time on the silliness of TikTok, or social media in general, I think those decisions will net you a big fat waste of time. I spend little to no time on social media because there is an element of entertainment that will hook me in and before I know it, an hour or more has passed me by. The results? Nothing. Nothing will remain with you from that experience, except your decision to spend it on the nothing you will receive.
I realize that social media is not the worst thing in the world, but it is a distraction. What about other distractions in your life? Do you have toxic relationships or environments that prevent you from filling your life with things that will prosper your mind and heart?
I am responsible for the decisions I make in and for my life. My impulsive behavior has provided me with bad choices where I had to ask, “What was I thinking?" I think we will all make some decisions we regret, however, in that regret we can walk away with the hope that we will never do that again … it is a learning and positive experience. Unless, of course, your decision was more devastating like marrying someone impulsively, or making large invested sums of money that if lost would financially ruin you. There are various magnitudes of consequences for the decisions we make. However, we can recover from most decisions made, even if they are painful.
The key to good decision-making is to realize there are options I can take that will help me in a decision-making situation. The first option, of course, is prayer and God’s Word. If you do not follow the advice of Psalm 1:1-2, then it is obvious you are a foolish person. Keeping away from the wrong things in life is a matter of wisdom, discernment, and a good sense of knowing what is right and what is wrong. Quick decision-making is often the culprit in making bad decisions. It is what advertisers define as, the ‘call to action.’ The call to action is to make the decision now because the deal will not last long. Do it today.
People marry poorly because a decision is made quickly to gamble on a person that they barely know. Courtship is a good decision to test the quality of a person you will spend the rest of your life with. There is no guarantee that any decision made will actually turn out the way you wanted, but staying away from quick impulsive decisions will at least give you a chance to choose wisely.
When a decision that is made goes bad, own it. Say out loud, “I messed up. It was my decision, and I will take the consequences for my actions.” That is the right thing to do, and it proves you are willing to take responsibility for all the decisions you make.
If you suffer the consequences, use that time to evaluate and learn from it. Most great ideas come from the consequences of bad decisions. I remember a national religious leader who failed his marriage in an affair and he suffered the loss of credibility and the loss of his job because of a bad relationship decision. From the consequences of his actions, he traveled the country talking to other religious leaders about how easy it is to fall to immoral decisions, and what to do if that temptation becomes real. This is a great example of how to react to moral failure in your life. Learn the lesson of falling short and reframe your life narrative into helping others avoid what you didn’t.
I must take total responsibility for making the decisions I make. That is one of the first steps in building good character. Don't make excuses, just admit responsibility and accept the consequences of your decision. You know as well as I do that society does not endorse admitting anything. Lawyers will also advise don't admit to anything because we can create doubt and therefore eliminate all consequences. Many guilty parties have gotten away with taking this approach. Yet, in the court of heaven, God will honor those who tell the truth, and judge those who lie to change the outcome.
Our world's greatest commodity in today's world is lies. Decisions based upon lies happen every day, and the only person that can be blamed for deciding to believe in a lie is you. The Bible tells us to test everything.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 But test everything; hold fast what is good.
Don't jump to conclusions or decide immediately on anything. What are we testing? Is there a lie in what I am being told? All of us can be fooled once, but a second time may mean we are a fool.
Your decisions will define your life, so make sure you choose wisely in all the decisions you make. Go back and re-read Psalm 1:1-2 and eliminate the obstacles to good decision-making.
Challenging the Culture with Truth … Larry Kutzler