Choices, choices

Paper or plastic? What size would you like? Which color would you prefer? How many would you like? Is it just the two of you this evening? Would you like that hot or mild? Which dressing would you like?

Every day, each of us are faced with decisions. It seems from nearly the moment our feet hit the floor, the choices in our every day lives come at us non-stop.

What would you like to eat for breakfast? Which pair of pants will you wear? Sneakers or loafers? Jeans or skirt? Button down or pullover?

It's constant!

The truth is, most of our choices require us to use a lot of brain power. In fact, the decisions we make before we leave the house each morning have barely scratched the surface of the dozens and perhaps even hundreds of other decisions we'll make throughout the day.

One study determined that on a typical day, the average person makes about 225 choices or decisions from the time we wake up until we close our eyes that night. 225! And actually, the majority of these choices don't have a significant impact on our lives. They are similar to the ones I listed above.

Choices that count

The choices I am addressing in this post are those that are more significant. They are the ones that may have a lasting and perhaps even permanent effect on our lives.

The kinds of choices I'm talking about are ones like the friends you hang out with, the kinds of movies you see, the type of music you listen to, the books you read, the places you go. Believe it or not, these and other choices are those that carry serious weight when it comes to our future.

At Lighthouse Christian School, we are decidedly Christian (as our name implies). Sometimes I may not be certain what that means for other organizations or people. But at Lighthouse, it means that we strive to follow the teachings of Jesus as found in His word, the bible. Consequently, we teach our students to do the same thing; follow Jesus' teachings. We know that God's word is filled with great wisdom on the topic of making right choices and we also know that success in the lives of our students can be greatly and positively impacted by doing what It says to do.

Proverbs 12:26 says, "The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray." Sometimes you have to know when friendship with another person is leading you away from the Lord. In this case, you must choose Christ or that friend. The answer is always going to be Christ.

Wise Christian friends will build you up, help you, and bring wisdom. The great Booker T. Washington was once quoted as saying, “Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone than in bad company.”

If you make right decisions on the major choices in life, the minor ones seem to be so much easier to make. So start today! Read God's word. Follow what it says and make your first choice!