THE MOST IMPORTANT CHOICE YOU WILL MAKE
When all is said and done, we have a choice to make in life.We can choose to be taken hostage and beat down by all of the challenges, hurt and heartache that come our way. We can let them define us. We can let them take hold of our minds, leaving us defeated and depressed or our hearts, rendering us consistently anxious.We can choose to find life in the trivial, pursuing the fleeting things to distract and numb us. But these things aren’t sticky and we will eventually end up fearful, angry and bitter.That’s the trajectory.The second choice is this . . . we can choose to live in real contentment and gratitude. Notice I didn’t say you would always feel contentment and gratitude. Sometimes real contentment is chosen before it is felt.Here’s the deal with life. It’s short. Like crazy short. And it goes faster with each passing year.It’s not predictable and you can’t control it. Your circumstances will change. People will fail you. You will fail you. You might get sick, you might get in a car accident. Or, you might live a hundred years. No one can really know. But one thing is certain, the clock keeps ticking.All the things you thought were ultimate things - getting married, having that child, getting that job promotion, losing that weight, buying that new house or arriving at a comfortable retirement - turns out, they leave us hanging. They fall short. Turns out, it’s never enough. Just ask the those who’ve made it, the celebs, the professional athletes, the millionaires. The top isn’t lonely because few are there, it’s lonely because it’s vapid, it’s meaningless.Those dreams and aspirations were never meant to have the title. They were never meant to sit on the throne. They were never meant to give identity and purpose. Because these things won’t last. They weren’t designed to.We can’t successfully attach our eternal souls to anything less than what is eternal. You have a choice. If you choose to place your hope in the weighty things, the things that leave a mark way past that moment you will take your last breath, you will find contentment.I didn’t say you will always be happy. I said you will find indelible peace. Lasting joy will follow obedient trust. I'm choosing to trust Jesus on his Word and His promises. They hold. They stand.
"We have this hope as an actor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain." Hebrews 6:19
Deep down, rock-solid, beyond comprehension hope can only be found in Jesus.This is my choice. And I wake up everyday renewing it, pleading with God to help me make it. He never disappoints. He will always give us more of Himself.And that is ultimate.