Of all my nearly 60 years on the planet, living this life, the most important practical thing I know is the concept of CHOICE.
Agency is another word we could use. The agency or choice of going the right way. The right way is often harder but easier in the longer run.
Our response to the things that happen to us in this life.
The. Most. Important. Thing.
Being Christian, a pastor, a chaplain, other Christians will say, well, what about your faith, Jesus, God your Saviour—isn’t THAT the most important thing?
Faith does us and others no good if we
continue to choose to NOT follow it.
Faith says, “There is only one good way to respond to life’s injustices. Have faith. Respond well. Own what is yours to own. Repent as and when needed. Keep doing good. Let go of what you can’t control.”
One way of interpreting Galatians 6:9 is, “Let us resist despair and keep doing good, for at the right time we will achieve our goal if we don’t give up.”
Easier said than done? Of course!
But, doable… and most of all, it’s n e c e s s a r y... to succeed.
I know from raw hardship and pure hell that at times life can crush the choice out of us, but one thing we can’t deny is we must still respond well. We MUST find a way to defy the logic that says, “I’m doing things my way.” “My way” is almost always the selfish and foolish way.
We all face a battle with our attitude, the tussle of flesh versus spirit, good versus bad, and the temptation to get back or get even, taking the law into our own hands.
The good always serves us in the long haul and we know it,
but it doesn’t usually FEEL good.
The choices we make otherwise to take control of situations we don’t have control of always leads to poor choices that inevitably have consequences.
None of us can afford the folly of playing the victim. We must choose to respond as a victor to become the eventual victor.
Being the victim makes life miserable.
Being victorious of attitude brings hope.
Will we operate out of the victim and give ourselves over to self-sabotage? Will we continue to blame others and suffer the consequence of throwing away our only power; to change ourselves?
Or will we choose to respond as if we are already victorious? Because inevitably that response does lead to victory.
Victory over temptation in the short term.
Victory of a legacy that serves us
and others in the longer term.
The victorious life is one good decision leading to another, in series with more good decisions, that leads ultimately to victory.
When life turns south, we are all tempted to wallow in the role of victim. It’s the default. To have the insight to turn victim into victorious, that is courage, faith, strength, selflessness, wisdom, all rolled into one. Simply because we had the humility to be honest.
The truth sets us free (John 8:32).
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