Choices

So do the choices we make really matter? Why not just have a little bit of fun? You're only young once, right? Hmm.... you've probably heard something like that before. The problem with that kind of logic is that choices really DO matter. Each decision you make is effecting the direction your life is going. (books, music, food, habits, friends.... just fill in the blank!) I got this article in my inbox today and I thought it was very thought provoking. It is from the Family Life Marriage Memos newsletter.

The article starts out with a story about two high school girls who were great friends. After their graduation, they took a trip with a group of friends. The trip ended up as one big party. One of the girls, Merry, was very uncomfortable and chose not to take part in all the "activities." The other entered right in. Years later, Merry is happily married and very involved in Christian ministery, but what about her friend?

For a number of years, Merry wondered what happened to her childhood friend, whom I will call Karen. After that week at Daytona Beach, Merry and Karen saw each other a few times and then drifted apart.

Then, about 15 years after they graduated from high school, Merry received a surprise phone call from Karen. As they caught up with what had happened over the years, Karen told a sad story of failed relationships, alcoholism, and drug abuse. She clearly was not happy with the direction her life had taken.

Merry remarked that she was a bit surprised, because during high school Karen did not appear to be on that path. “What happened?” she asked.

Karen replied, “Remember that week in Daytona Beach?” She didn’t realize this at the time—she just thought she was having fun—but the choices she made that week started her on a dangerous path. One choice led to another, and then to another, and the longer she stayed on that path, the harder it was to step off it.

In many ways, life is a series of choices. Some of these choices announce themselves with the blare of a marching band, like they did that week at Daytona for Merry and Karen. Others appear as a faint whisper in your ear. Yet at some point it seems that each choice comes down to a simple question: Are you going to follow the path of wisdom or the path of foolishness?

Sometimes we don’t fully realize the implications of our choices—how they will affect our future, and how they affect our relationships.

So what about the choices that you are making? You may not think that they are having a lasting effect on your life, but are they? Even the things that we put in our minds, what we hear, read or see, those things are always going to be there and effect us whether we realize it or not. Our prayer needs to be for help to be pure in our actions and choices and to always decide to do the things that honors Christ. We never know where our choices, good or bad, are going to lead.

Lasting Influence

I have found, out in "blogdom," a few blogs that uphold some of the same values that I hold to - especially in terms of true womanhood. I came across this posting this evening, from The Pleasant Times blog, and thought that many of you would enjoy it and benefit from it. It is titled "Girls and their Influence."

Here are a couple of "teaser" quotes to get you started:

In regard to modesty:

If a girl dresses decently and modestly, a boy will have different conduct towards her than with other girls. Even if he is not acquainted with her, he may speak differently to her, use a more serious tone with her, be more sincere in conversation with her, than he would with immodest girls. Immodestly dressed girls are assumed to be immodest in conduct as well, so a boy will be inclined to take more liberties with his words and mannerisms and foolishness with her. He thinks she will like this kind of thing, whereas the girl who is modest and serious would not approve of any conduct less than a gentleman's.

In regard to life in general:

The girl I am describing will have a better time in life than the wild and unchecked girl. Boys will be more cautious not to offend her, and are more inclined to treat her right. Folks old and young will curb their swearing or idle talk when she is around. People will come to her for advice, or know she can be relied upon for certain responsibilities. She will secure men's good opinion wherever she goes. She will find doors opened for her in life, both literally and figuratively. She will find many friends to value, and who value her, and would not want to drag her down in the mire.

The Battle of the Mind

Most conflicts, if not all, begin with a single thought. (Wow, you might be saying, she sure is brilliant... or not. :) Well, let me continue.) Ofttimes the temptations we face and the internal battles we fight are brought on by a single train of thought. If this train is allowed to continue to roll around in our brains, it becomes longer and longer and may lead to a temptation in a certain area and then to sin. Where does the thought come from? Contrary to some beliefs, thoughts themselves are not sin, but it is what we do with those thoughts that can lead to sin.

Let me explain what I mean a little more. Satan knows his first battle ground in fighting for a soul is in the person's mind. Thus he sometimes plants thoughts in our brain, perhaps by whispering them in our ear or by having someone else bring the thought to our attention. (Hint: this is why it is sooo important to watch out for what we are putting in our minds with books, magazines, radio, other audio/visual media, and what we talk about with others! Sometimes it is better to be thought "dumb" about certain things, than to know things that are going to negatively affect your walk with Christ.)

Here is an example, maybe a little far fetched, but hopefully will get the point across: You are at the bank cashing the check your grandma sent for your birthday. Some thought enters your mind, "Rob the bank and you will be rich!" You think Where did that come from? but you continue to dwell on the thought as you wait in line. Maybe you don't do it this time, but as the days pass, you continue to allow your mind to go back to that train of though. Boy, I sure could use the money right now! My cell phone bill is due next week - all those texts sure do add up! So by the next time you go to the bank, you have decided to get rich quick! You rob the bank, the surveillance cameras record you, your picture is all over the news, you are arrested that evening for theft, and you spend the next twenty years paying for your crime! And all this would have been avoided, had you not dwelt on that first single thought!

So, really, you probably aren't going to be tempted to rob a bank, right? But Satan doesn't tempt us in things that have no appeal for us. He probably keeps a card file of everyone's personalities and is sure to tempt them in something that will have a chance of causing them to fall! So how do we fight this?? By starting where it all begins... thus, the battle of the mind!

Battle Strategy
I believe that every person fights this battle of the mind in one way or another. Here is a Scripture that God gave me this verse in 2 Corinthians 10, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" Personally, I visualize myself binding up the thought and casting it out of my mind. And the guideline for inappropriate thoughts is does it go against God's laws? and of course it is pure, lovely, true, etc.... (Philippians 4:8) Not only do you need to bind up the thought and cast it out, but when it comes back to mind, because Satan doesn't always give up after one try, to remember that you have cast out that thought and make a conscience decision to not dwell on it and PRAY, for only with Christ can you truly win. This battle of the mind is fought over many different issues such as modesty, purity, life choices, and just fill in the blank for the battle that you are fighting! God has promised His help when we ask and also that He would never give us more than we can bear - 1 Corinthians 10:13.


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