I do not believe in what I personally call “automatic destiny”. My life experiences, reading from historical documents, and studying God’s word has confirmed my belief that God created us with free will as part of our souls’ makeup.
This free will is often a more powerful thing than we realize. Decisions we often don’t see as life changing can end up exactly that way; a split second and bad decision to drive around a railroad crossing gate can prematurely end a human life. On the flipside, a driver who makes the quick decision to take evasive measures during a drive to the store can keep a serious accident from taking place.
Throughout our lives we are constantly making choices. What time we will wakeup, what time we will eat our daily meals, and what time we will return to bed are just a few examples of the natural human choices we make.
When we are young, our parents decide most of what we do, when we do it, and how we do it. As we get older, we begin to take on more responsibility for the simple and complicated decisions in our lives. Often, those choices can lead to devastatingly negative consequences. The teenage boy who takes on a risky dare could permanently be disfigured, crippled, or even killed. A teenage girl who decides to become sexually active can end up carrying a disease with her for the rest of her life.
God wants us to be wise and careful with the decisions we make. Proverbs is packed with verses about wisdom, character, and discipline. A disciplined thinker is going to make decisions after weighing the consequences of his actions. A woman of character will not rush into foolishness and put herself or her family at risk.
I think Proverbs 13:16 (NIV) says it best: “Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly.”
The more we understand the possible consequences of our decision making, the more we can begin to make better choices. Whether we are taking out a loan to buy something, examining different colleges to attend, or choosing someone to date, we must think about all of the possible outcomes before we rush into a final decision.
Life is full of choices. We just need to remember it is also full of consequences.
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Thanks for this powerful word. To have a better tomorrow we have to make better decisions today. We also have to pray and encourage others around us to make better decisions. What they do can affect us as well. If they still want to make unwise decisions then we have to pray for a hedge of protection. This article is very thought provoking. Enjoyed reading and thanks for sharing.
