The best way to avoid a pattern of negative choices is to seek wisdom from God to make good choices from the start. That’s the ultimate way to live as a follower of Jesus—fueling our daily decisions with God’s wisdom! That can lead to a positive domino effect, where one good choice leads to another good choice—and on and on it goes. And thankfully, because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can be forgiven and set back upright again even when we do make a poor choice.
Proverbs 3:5-8 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all you ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in our own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.”
Jesus cares about your decisions. Think of some choices you made today or this week, do you feel good about those choices? Are there some choices you would like to go back in time to change? In the passage we read, we’re warned to not rely on our own understanding. Why is that so hard to do? Because we like to be in control.
It’s true that God is in charge of everything, but he cares deeply about us and about all the little choices we make in everyday life. Jesus has the wisdom we need to make solid choices, and he wants to give that wisdom to us!
Your choices affect other people. I’m sure that all of you can remember a choice someone else made that affected you, either positively or negatively. God designed us to live life together, not alone. What’s one wise choice you’ve made that’s improved your relationships with other people?
Most of us know that relationships—with friends, family, colleagues, classmates, teammates—are really important. But sometimes we forget how much better those relationships could be if we sought wisdom from Jesus. The next time you’re about to make a choice that you know will affect someone else, ask Jesus to help you make the right decision. This Scripture says he’ll show you the right path to take.
Your choices either build up or tear down your reputation. Think about this: You can quickly gain a bad reputation because of one bad choice, and then it can take a long time to get rid of that bad reputation. Like it or not, our choices cause people to see us in a certain way. As Christians, we bear the name of Jesus Christ. We can make choices that honor him and reflect him.
Listen to this statement: “It can take five minutes to gain a bad reputation and a year to lose that bad reputation.” Do you know anyone in your life that has proven this statement to be true? If so, what can you learn from that person’s situation? Not trying to say we have to be perfect, but simply trying every day to be better.
What’s one choice you can start with today to create a positive domino effect in your relationship with the Lord?
So true!!! Our day is filled with decisions, the first one being to get out of bed. Some days, the decisions that I make after that find me saying to myself, “Geez, I should just go back to bed and start over!” As a teacher, I pray often that I am “that teacher,” the one that my students find comfort in and that I have taught them how to survive this thing called life. Sometimes their little lives are already affected by the domino affect of bad decisions that were made by the adults in their life. Dear God, Please lead teachers in making the decisions every day that will impact children’s life. May our choices lead them to YOU!! Thanks for another excellent devo.
Sherrie Shelton
Thank you for your comments Sherrie. I will pray along with you in hopes that you can be “that teacher” who will influence the kids to seek both God and good things for their lives.
Good thoughts; thanks. We tend to think of a domino effect in a negative way, so it’s good to put a positive perspective on it. Our influence matters! Whatever good we do in Jesus’ name for one person, we have no idea the positive ripple effect that will have down the line.
I agree but that also means we have to be aware and careful of the flipside. If we mistreat or do wrong it could cause a ripple that changes peoples perception of the church and it’s followers for a long time.
Good thoughts, words of wisdom to live by
Thank you Chuck