MAKING DECISIONS

David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 NKJV).  

I’ve been thinking a lot about “decisions” lately.  It’s now 11 o’clock in the morning and I’ve counted at least 20 decisions I’ve made since I got out of bed. Actually, I made a decision even before I got out of bed.  At 6 a.m. I decided to go back to sleep and guess what happened! I didn't wake up until 9 a.m. Someone has calculated that we make as many as 5,000 decisions in a day!  

Decisions have become a focal point for me the last few months because I want to stay healthy and lose some weight.  I want this body to stay strong so that I can serve the Lord throughout the days He has allotted to me.  Also, I feel better when I eat healthier foods. Unfortunately, most of my life I have let my feelings rule my eating habits.  I often start out the day with good intentions but rarely finish well. “Will power” just flies out the window about 8 o’clock in the evening.  Have you ever had this problem?

Recently, there has been a shift in my thinking.  Now when I reach for that piece of chocolate or piece of bread, I ask myself, “What decision did you make when you woke up this morning? Are you going to stay true to that decision?” (Please note, I am not saying that eating a piece of chocolate -- or two or three -- is a sin. God created cocoa beans as well as broccoli!)  

At the same time, I am also learning how certain foods, especially “carbs,” affect my body and how they either help or hinder my progress.  Armed with this information and focusing on decision-making is transforming this area of my life into a matter of integrity.  It’s no longer a case of success or failure which leaves me feeling like I am a “bad” person when I don’t measure up to “my standard.”  This mindset just causes me to be discouraged and then I usually end up telling myself, “You blew it, you might as well have a dish of ice cream, too.”   So I made a wrong choice…  By focusing on decision-making instead of my feelings, I can go back to that initial daily decision, ask for God’s help and get back on track again. It's not that I have this all figured out and down to a science, but I press onward.   

David continues, “Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me (v. 11).”  In this post, I’ve focused on eating healthy and losing weight, but it applies to every area of my life. For me, “eating right” or doing what is right is less about “will power” and more about “having a steadfast spirit within me” and focusing on how my decisions affect my relationship with God and others.