It has been awhile since I have posted anything. Usually I will post whatever is on my mind/heart, maybe a review of something I’m currently interested in, or something in the news. There is definitely not a shortage of material. I could write about the oil spill, at&t’s new iPhone (that still will not work within a 25 mile radius of me, giving way to my idea that every wal-mart should have a 3G AT&T tower attached to it), or the large amount of friends that have visited us in the last month. I could’ve have written about all of that. But I didn’t.
I could have….But I choose not to. One thing I have been learning about is priorities and choices. I work a few jobs, as well as being on staff at a church, while finishing up some classes for my degree (lots of people go to school for 11 years…). My “schedule” has the potential to be full of things that need to be priority. On top of that, I’ve chosen to be married (and am thankful for my wife) and chosen to have two high maintenance dogs. These are now top responsibilities and priorities as well. So I have found myself as of late choosing to let the priorities and responsibilities take my time and effort rather than my recreational desires which include blogging, church league softball and amusement (tv, books, movies that do not contribute to other goals). Choosing recreation over priorities and responsibilities is largely why it has taken me so long to complete my degree. The MOST important lesson I am learning right now, is that I have the right to choose.
I have the right to choose what I do with my time, my responsibilities, and my attitude through it all. Whenever I am discipling someone, I will always say “You may not get to choose what happens to you, but you can choose your response.” John Maxwell says, “the power to Choose is the greatest power we are given.” I think I have tried to put too much responsibility on Jesus in the past. He said “come all who are weary, for my burden is easy and my yoke is light.” I think my attitude was “if Jesus said he’d help me, I’ll take him up on the opportunity and let him do all the work.” This obviously isn’t what Jesus was saying at all. But I was afraid of responsibility. And because I was afraid of responsibility I rarely made major choices or decisions because I knew I would be held accountable for them. I let other people chose for me, and let them carry the weight of the decision. I enjoyed being a pawn because I didn’t have to have the responsibilities of a king. Oddly enough, most people around me (and probably God as well) were waiting for me to choose, to stand up and take command of my life. I am going on 30 years and just as of late have I realized that I can do anything I choose to do. That is a very powerful idea that people have been trying to instill in me since I was a wee little ladd, but only recently have I chosen to take hold of it.
Jimmy Carter (before his unfortunate presidency) was asked once if he had done his best. His response, sadly was no, he hadn’t; to which his military commander further questioned “Why not?”
We choose our priorities, our responsibilities, our attitudes, our responses and our efforts. And it’s one of the greatest gifts God has given us. What are you doing with that gift?
